Maternal, Child Health and Neonatal Nursing Commons^™

Statistical Evaluation Of The Standard Days Method Of Family Planning, Mary Schneider, Richard Fehring

Richard J Fehring

The Standard Days Method (SDM) is a method of family planning that assumes ovulation to be close to the midpoint of the menstrual cycle; fertility falls between days 8 and 19; and is most effective for cycle lengths between twenty-six and thirty-two days. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the assumptions of the SDM with a new data set of 714 menstrual cycles produced by 131 women (mean age twenty-nine) who tracked their fertility with an electronic fertility monitor that measured urinary estrogen and luteinizing hormone (LH). The LH peak was used to estimate the day of ovulation …

Randomized Comparison Of Two Internet-Supported Fertility Awareness Based Methods Of Family Planning, Richard Fehring, Mary Schneider, Kathleen Raviele, Dana Rodriguez, Jessica Pruszynski

Richard J Fehring

Background: The aim was to compare the efficacy and acceptability of two Internet-supported fertility-awareness-based methods of family planning.

Study design: Six hundred and sixty-seven women and their male partners were randomized into either an electronic hormonal fertility monitor (EHFM) group or a cervical mucus monitoring (CMM) group. Both groups utilized a Web site with instructions, charts and support. Acceptability was assessed online at 1, 3 and 6 months. Pregnancy rates were determined by survival analysis.

Results: The EHFM participants (N=197) had a total pregnancy rate of 7 per 100 users over 12 months of use compared with 18.5 for the …

Depression Screening On A Maternity Unit: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation Of Nurses’ Views And Implementation Strategies, Lisa Segre, Lauren Pollack, Rebecca Brock, Jeana Andrew, Michael O'Hara

Lisa S. Segre

Postpartum women often suffer clinically significant depressive symptoms, a problem addressed by nurse-delivered screening programs. In the past, success of these identification programs was measured in terms of screening rates; however, merely evaluating the screening rate does little to inform howto implement depression screening in clinical practice. This article describes the experiences of nurses in implementing depression screening on a maternity unit. We evaluate the practice qualitatively, by asking nurses to describe their screening strategies and their views about implementation, as well as quantitatively by assessing their screening rates and the number of women identified. Utilizing a framework of program …

Emotional Distress In Mothers Of Preterm Hospitalized Infants: A Feasibility Trial Of Nurse-Delivered Treatment, Lisa Segre, Rebecca Chuffo-Siewert, Rebecca Brock, Michael O'Hara

Lisa S. Segre

OBJECTIVE: Mothers of preterm infants in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at risk for clinically significant depression and anxiety, but for these women their own treatment is likely a secondary priority. This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of an evidence-based, nurse-delivered, on-site depression treatment: listening visits (LVs). STUDY DESIGN: Therapeutic LVs were delivered on site to 23 distressed mothers of NICU infants. The intervention was conducted by a neonatal nurse practitioner and the outcome was examined in an open-trial, pre-post evaluation. RESULT: A part-time nurse practitioner delivered six LVs to each participant within a 1-month …

Meeting The Health Care Needs Of Miedically Underserved, Uninsured, And Underinsured Appalachians, Ida Slusher, C. Fletcher-Withrow, M. Whitaker

Ida Slusher

There is the need for critical changes in the United States health care system to meet the rising costs of health care and the massive number of people without health insurance. The Berea Health Ministry Rural Health Clinic (BHMRHC) is a nurse-managed, rural primary health care clinic that was designed to respond to the health care needs of the underserved, uninsured, and underinsured populations in a designated nine county area of Appalachian Kentucky. The process used in the development and implementation of BHMRHC is described as a model to assist in the future development of similar clinics.

Self-Care Agency And Self-Care Practice Of Adolescents, Ida Slusher

Ida Slusher

The purposes of this study were threefold: (a) to describe self-care agency, (b) to describe self-care practice, and (c) to describe the relationship between self-care agency and self-care practice in adolescents. The usefulness of Orem's Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory (SCDNT) with adolescents also was evaluated. Participants in this study included 173 adolescents, 14 to 19 years of age. Data were collected in classroom settings in two diverse high schools. Denyes Self-Care Agency Instrument-90 and Denyes Self-Care Practice Instrument-90 were administered. Results revealed the presence of self-care agency and self-care practice. Although self-care practice was lower than self-care agency, a significant …