Implementation of Statewide Education on Trauma-Informed Care among Multidisciplinary Birth Workers

Describe the implementation of trauma-informed care education and the attitudes toward trauma-informed care among birth workers in Maryland.

Cross-sectional descriptive study of health care professionals involved in the childbirth continuum of care in Maryland. Data collection was conducted between January 11th and February 23rd, 2024 as a pre-survey to a grant-sponsored trauma-informed care education program. The Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC) scale was used to quantify participants' trauma-informed care attitudes.

There were 220 participants in the educational sessions, 111 of whom met inclusion criteria and participated in the survey. The ARTIC scale had a mean of 5.38 (SD 0.7) across all participants, scores ranged from 2.16 to 6.51, indicating receptive birth worker attitudes toward trauma-informed care. Lowest sub-scale scores were for understanding the underlying causes of trauma and identifying adequate system support for trauma-informed care. There were significant differences in ARTIC scores between nurse participants (M 5.34, SD = 0.51) and those in other roles (M 5.6, SD = 0.58), with nurses exhibiting lower scores (p = .035).

Maryland perinatal professionals are receptive to trauma-informed care practices and would benefit from targeted education to more fully understand the underlying causes of trauma and initiation of a universal approach to trauma-informed care. Health care leaders should demonstrate their commitment to trauma-informed care by providing team members who care for women during childbirth with increased resources, education, and support for this care model.