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Published on: August 15, 2018
Maternity Nurses' Knowledge about Sudden Unexpected Postnatal Collapse and Safe Newborn Positioning
Camilla Addison1, Susan Ludington-Hoe
1Camilla Addison is Program Director, Patient Education & Nursing Practice, Center for Professional Nursing Practice, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY. Dr. Addison can be reached via e-mail at cbiney@nyp.org Dr. Susan Ludington-Hoe is a Professor and Carl W. & Margaret Davis Walters Professor of Pediatric Nursing, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.
Purpose:
Sudden unexpected postnatal collapse (SUPC) of healthy newborns in the first 2 days of life is increasing. These types of adverse events are known to be associated with unsafe positioning during skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding. The purpose of the study was to determine maternity nurses' knowledge about SUPC and safe newborn positioning.
Design:
Nurses who participate in a hosted listserv were solicited to complete a questionnaire.
Methods:
An email with an embedded link to a 20-item questionnaire, the SUPC and Safe Positioning Knowledge Assessment Tool, and 16 demographic questions was sent to 605 maternity nurses in the United States who are part of a Perinatal Listserv for members of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Scores were analyzed by mean, standard deviation, and percent correct answers.
Results:
Fifty questionnaires were initiated (response rate of 8.2%), and 36 completed questionnaires (response rate of 5.9%) were analyzed. Maternity nurses' knowledge of SUPC was less than their knowledge of safe newborn positioning (61% correct vs. 72% correct; p < 0.001).
Clinical Implications:
Maternity nurses need more information about SUPC and safe newborn positioning, including risk factors, and effective strategies to reduce risk of preventable newborn harm.
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