Why Nurses Are Essential to Research on Birth Outcomes in the United States

In a consensus study on birth settings in the United States, the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded that childbirth outcomes are influenced by quality of care, access to services, and choices of women within the maternity health care system. The United States has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality among the most developed nations in the world, and outcomes are marked by disparities among racial and ethnic groups of women. However, recommendations for improving birth outcomes are limited by the lack of an evidence base related to the physical and psychological safety of women during childbirth. Nurses who care for pregnant women and their infants are dedicated to ensuring that safe, high-quality care is provided during every encounter. Therefore, they are uniquely positioned to conduct the research on the fundamental elements of safety, quality, and inequities in health care that is needed to improve the maternity care system and outcomes for women and infants.