you created a practicum project that was intended to demonstrate improvement in outcomes for an organization and/or a patient population. In 300 – 400 words, provide a brief description of your project and describe how your project aligned with The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing. In your replies, comment on how you think your peer’s project will change the practice of nursing.
Results and Recommendation
The practicum project was proposed to determine the childbirth process effects on expectant mothers’ mental health. The period of pregnancy and childbirth is a critical time in the life of a woman. During this time, the body undergoes a series of transformations that affect its emotional state. If the women are not cared for adequately, the process might negatively impact their emotional and psychological health. For instance, they may develop psychological disorders such as elevated anxiety levels, depression, and even psychosis (O’Connell, 2019). Therefore, the practicum project aims to engage in investigative studies that expand the learning process by enhancing knowledge and skills on how to handle the birthing experience to reduce its impact on maternal psychological state. Subsequently, it deduces the strategies used in applying the research findings into the nursing practice (Reed et al., 2017).
Evaluation Strategies and the Target Audience
Investigative research was carried to deduce the birthing experience of different women. Various data collection strategies were utilized during the study, including surveys using face-to-face interviews and telephone interviews. Additionally, information EHR was also used during the process (Müller-Staub et al., 2016). The factual details compiled from seventeen individuals showed variations in their childbirth experiences and the events’ impacts. The questions posed to the participants included what took place during the childbirth process and if it resonated with their preformed expectations. They were also asked the events that matched their expectations and those they would have preferred to have been done differently. The majority of the respondents indicated that they had satisfactory experiences. However, a few of those interviewed reported that they had traumatic experiences that impacted them negatively (Reed et al., 2017).
Significance of the Findings to the Nursing Practice
The investigations’ findings are significant because they help the professionals conceptualize the issues that lead to patients’ dissatisfaction during childbirth contributing to their developing distorted mental states (World Health Organization [WHO], 2018). For instance, one respondent mentioned that they required the presence of family members. However, her demands were not possible because of the restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic. Seeking patients’ views on their perceptions about the care they received and the aspects that should be improved on is significant because it aids in disseminating holistic care that leaves the new mothers satisfied with the services they receive (Schwab-Reese et al., 2016).
The investigation also highlighted the significance of collaborative engagement between the multidisciplinary team involved in the childbirth process. One of the respondents indicated a disconnect in communication between the nurses tasked with performing the process, which negatively impacted the process’s progress. An MD had to step in and deliver the baby. Inadequate communication between the multidisciplinary team in charge of maternal care interferes with the quality of care that the patients receive (Reed et al., 2017). As a result, it causes maternal stress, which is a significant cause of postnatal psychiatric conditions. Therefore, the study helps to conceptualize the significance of communicating effectively during the birthing process to provide a satisfactory maternal care experience.
The investigative study’s findings also bring to light the significance of involving various medical personnel during the childbirth process. For example, when nurses notice that the expectant mother is not progressing well during the process, they should consult individuals who are more skilled in the process, such as the providers. The professionals can enlighten them on the evidence-based procedures they can implement to make the process easier and faster. They may be asked to use an epidural to reduce their discomfort and lessen the chances of developing mental problems (WHO, 2018). Subsequently, the professionals can incorporate other medical experts who can elicit positive outcomes after the birthing process. For example, the nurses can encapsulate a psychiatrist’s services in the maternal care of the mothers who have undergone excruciating birthing experiences to reduce their mental health deteriorating because of the unpleasant experience. The professionals can counsel them and support their coping mechanisms (Reed et al., 2017).
The factual details compiled during the study will also help expand the scope of my nursing care experience and transform the way I handle maternal and birthing processes. The insights learned during the process will give me the courage to take a leadership role in maternal care. It can help me effectively lead the multidisciplinary team charged with caring for the expectant mothers in using best practices during the birthing process and caring for the infant after it is delivered. I will utilize servant leadership, which entails leading others by showing them how to perform necessary procedures correctly. It will include employing the insights learned from interviewing and debriefing the participants. I will also apply the theoretical underpinnings grasped from analyzing EHR and contextual texts that explore the issue of maternal mental health to ensure that the mothers under my care do not develop psychiatric conditions as a result of their birthing experiences (Rosa, 2016).
The practicum project plays an essential role in transforming the nursing practice by helping aspiring professionals deduce the nursing practice areas that need transformations to improve maternal care and reduce incidences where patients develop mental problems after the process. Some of the recommendations that will help enhance the practice and improve the mothers’ experiences during the process include proper timing of discharges after the birthing process. Providing adequate care during the postnatal period reduces the mothers’ chances of developing mental disruptions (WHO, 2018). The purpose of the period is to monitor the mothers, deduce any psychological disorders they may have, and provide necessary care (Reed et al., 2017). Subsequently, the duration can gauge the mothers’ mental health and the attachments they form with the young ones to ensure that they are functioning optimally. The chance of their deteriorating is minimal.
Conclusion
The practicum project is significant to the nursing practice. The study conducted and its findings are essential in comprehending the interrelation between the birthing experience and maternal health. It helps detect the negative experiences that may occur during childbirth and the events that preceded or follow the process that may distort mothers’ mental health. The study’s findings are significant because they help determine nursing practice areas that should be transformed to increase patients’ satisfaction with the care they receive. Subsequently, they help deduce their significance in expanding the nurses’ competency in maternal care and taking a leadership role that improves the practices used in maternal care to incorporate evidence-based practices that prevent disruption of mothers’ mental health. The study also helps make recommendations of the areas that should be altered to enhance future practice (Rosa, 2016).
References
Müller-Staub, M., de Graaf-Waar, H., & Paans, W. (2016). An internationally consented standard for nursing process-clinical decision support systems in electronic health records. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 34(11), 493–502. https://doi.org/10.1097/cin.0000000000000277
O’Connell, M. (2019). Preventing, recognising, and responding to fear of childbirth and birth trauma. BMJ, l2279. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l2279
Reed, R., Sharman, R., & Inglis, C. (2017). Women’s descriptions of childbirth trauma relating to care provider actions and interactions. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-016-1197-0
Rosa, W. (2016). Nurses as leaders [Kindle]. A journey of privilege
Schwab-Reese, L. M., Schafer, E. J., & Ashida, S. (2016). Associations of social support and stress with postpartum maternal mental health symptoms: Main effects, moderation, and mediation. Women & Health, 57(6), 723–740. https://doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2016.1181140
World Health Organization. (2018, January 1). Who recommendations: Intrapartum care for a positive childbirth experience. WHO. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241550215
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