Improving the discharge process of antenatal admissions during pregnancy
Abstract
The purpose of this project was to improve the discharge process of antenatal admissions in labor and delivery. The purpose for improving the discharge process is to increase the understanding of discharge instructions which may help to reduce the number of patients seeking labor and delivery units for antenatal complications. Too many times, labor and delivery units become overwhelmed with antenatal patients who are sent home undelivered. Many of these patients could have managed their care at home while others could have been seen at the clinic.
Nola Pender's Health Promotion Model provided the framework for this project. Pender's theory discusses how a variety of individual characteristics and experiences, behavior specific cognitions and affects help to explain and predict health-promoting behavior. The goal of this project was to facilitate the antenatal patient through her pregnancy journey so she could embrace her experiences and move toward health promotion.
The need for this project was based on the number of admissions to labor and delivery, advice from a practicing Certified Nurse Midwife, as well as results from Nurse's Beliefs Regarding the Discharge Process of Antenatal Patients survey completed by Labor and Delivery nurses at a major medical center. Further research is needed to substantiate a more conclusive understanding of the discharge process, with possible modifications to increase validity of the study.