Self-assessment: a personalized approach to nursing during pregnancy

A Prenatal Self-Assessment questionnaire was developed to aid in personalizing nursing care in a large medical center prenatal clinic. The questionnaire complements the standard prenatal record, which is intended primarily to document medical findings and treatment. The tool was used with more than 100 mothers who were receptive to this approach. The women's responses to questions about their feelings and thoughts concerning their pregnancies facilitated identification of potential problems and provided a basis for individualized and comprehensive care.