Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Increasing Ob/Gyn Clinic Nursing Staff Knowledge And Comfort Level In Providing Breastfeeding Education, Nancy Moore

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

There are well known benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child, yet the educational support from providers during prenatal visits is not consistent or well-documented. An educational presentation discussing guidelines of breastfeeding education, common breastfeeding problems and barriers to breastfeeding was developed and presented to a “Baby Friendly” hospital-based OB/GYN clinic staff at an urban St. Louis hospital. The goal was to increase staff knowledge and comfort providing education and resources surrounding breastfeeding to be used to increase discussion of breastfeeding during prenatal and postpartum visits. Evaluation of pre and posttest data showed an increase in knowledge regarding managing …

Recommendations For Sugammadex Administration In Standard And Special Populations, Kristen E. Mattson, Alexa Brummund

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The purpose of this project was to collect evidence-based information regarding sugammadex administration in both standard and selected special populations. Special populations included renal failure, breastfeeding, pregnancy, and pediatrics. The objectives of the project were to collect and present current research to the host facility, define barriers to the use of sugammadex, and assess the participants’ knowledge of sugammadex use in special populations. A guideline for sugammdex administration was created and presented to the host facility through a poster presentation and quick reference guide. A voluntary post-implementation survey was implemented, and the results were recorded, analyzed, and displayed in the …

Breastfeeding Support In Your Pocket: Evaluating The Impact Of A Mobile App On Maternal Success, Maygan Brandt

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Breastfeeding has well-known benefits for both the nursing infant and the birthing parent. It bolsters the newborn immune system, and reduces the risk of future health conditions in both parties. Due to these advantages, several health organizations internationally recommend exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age. However, only a fraction of infants in the United States meet this goal each year. Improved rates and duration of exclusive breastfeeding will lead to better long-term health outcomes for patients. The use of smartphone applications for breastfeeding education and support has not been thoroughly researched. Objective: This thesis explores the feasibility of …

Feasibility And Measurement Of Bedside Pumping In The Nicu: A Mixed Methods Study, Jessica Gomez

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Abstract

Background: Supporting preterm infants with mother’s own milk (MOM) can improve health outcomes and decrease mortality.¹ Freshly pumped MOM, within four hours of expression, has the highest availability of bioactive components versus stored MOM. However, fresh milk is often not readily available due to the disconnected process of breastfeeding that occurs with preterm infants in the NICU. One convenient solution to improve access to fresh MOM is for the mother to pump at the infant's bedside. This intervention could improve the mother's pumping experience and provide the infant access to fresh MOM.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate …

Standardization Of Perioperative Management Of The Breastfeeding Women, Amrutha Panakkal

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Mother's milk is the optimal nutrition for the term and preterm neonates. The psychological and physiological stressors in the perioperative setting can impede a lactating mother's ability to breastfeed in the postoperative setting successfully. A best-practice guideline incorporating a stoplight color-coding chart and categories such as "safe," "caution," and "consider avoidance" was used to group medications according to their safety for anesthesia providers in a large urban academic medical center in Pennsylvania. The evidence-based guideline also provided links to the hospital policy, LactMed, and Hale database to streamline resources and aid in the rapid decision-making of anesthesia providers in identifying …

Improving Breastfeeding Rates Through Education, Julianna Youssef

Doctoral Projects

Background: Breastfeeding is beneficial for newborn babies, but there are many challenges that new mothers face that prevent them from exclusively breastfeeding.
Objective: To evaluate if re-educational training in RN’s and LVN’s is an effective way to increase the exclusive breastfeeding rates in the hospital setting.
Methods: We utilized a pretest/post-test quasi-experimental design and had the goal sample size was about 50 nurses. The nurses were given an educational PowerPoint at a monthly staff meeting. Pretests were given to the staff immediately before and posttests two weeks later. Additionally, exclusive breastfeeding rates were monitored for the three months before the …

Tiny Tusk Internship: Barriers To Effective Breastfeeding Within Low Socioeconomic Populations, Catherine Johnson

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tiny Tusk Breastfeeding and Infant Support is a program created to facilitate safe and quiet places for mothers to breastfeed at various events at the University of Arkansas. It serves as a platform to spread important and essential information about breastfeeding to mothers and reach various women all from different backgrounds and populations. The purpose of this review of literature is to identify barriers that women within low socioeconomic populations face that influence their decision to breastfeed. These barriers included lack of social support from family, friends, and healthcare providers; latch difficulty; and concerns of milk supply. Altogether, low-income women …

Breastfeeding After Maternal Anesthesia: A Guideline Development, Megan Berens

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Postoperative breastfeeding recommendations for lactating mothers by anesthesia providers are inconsistent and often inaccurate. Inappropriate recommendations have led to withholding of breastmilk to the infant, unnecessary disposal of breastmilk, surgical delay, exposure of an infant to high levels of drugs in breastmilk, and early cessation of breastfeeding. The purpose of the scholarly project was to develop a set of evidenced-based practice guideline recommendations and a proposed implementation plan for anesthesia providers to use in support of breastfeeding mothers who recover from surgery. Many studies in the literature indicate that there are inconsistencies in postoperative breastfeeding recommendations by anesthesia providers. When …

Increasing Exclusive Breastfeeding: Baby-Friendly Initiatives, Courtney Ragsdell

Honors Theses

This research investigates the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and Baby-Friendly Community Initiative on increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates; it also suggests a plan for implementing the Baby-Friendly Community Initiative protocols within a small community.

Effectiveness Of Follow Up Phone Calls On Postpartum Women After Discharge: A Program Evaluation, Camille Williams

Dissertations

After an expectant mother gives birth, they are closely monitored for 48 to 72 hours after delivery and then discharged from the hospital. They are then typically seen by their physician for a postpartum follow up appointment within six to eight weeks for their postpartum follow up visit. Although complications during this postpartum period can still arise, postpartum women are rarely assessed during this time. Follow-up phone calls have been known to improve patient outcomes and communication between patients and providers once patients are discharged from the hospital. In January of 2020, the Mother/Baby Unit at a midwestern metropolitan hospital …

The Lived Experiences Of Icu, Med-Surg, And Er Nurses In The United States Attempting To Breastfeed During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amy Seay

Dissertations

Breastfeeding is important to promote the health of both mothers and babies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). Many mothers experience workplace barriers and stress which negatively impact breastfeeding duration (McCardel & Padilla, 2020; Nagel et al., 2022). However, a gap in the literature exists surrounding specific barriers and the impact of stress on U.S. nurses who breastfeed. Specifically, workplace challenges and stress among nurses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic lack exploration.

This interpretive phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of ICU, Med-Surg, and ER nurses who attempted to breastfeed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Roy’s adaptation model was …

Nursing Knowledge And Breastfeeding Education, Mary Aguirre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Healthy People 2020 breastfeeding goal immediately after birth of 81.9% was surpassed in 2016, with approximately 83.8% of babies breastfed shortly after delivery. However, by seven days post birth, this number decreased to 82.9%, reduced even more for infants who were exclusively breastfed to 64.7%. Local research has shown that breastfeeding decreases at one week after discharge, which may be due, in part, to the lack of nurses' knowledge related to breastfeeding. This lack of knowledge related to breastfeeding by the nurses, in turn, may negatively impact the support staff …

Staff Education To Promote Probiotic Breastfeeding Therapy, José Diaz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in children under 5. In addition, there are 22 million babies born underweight each year which also contributes to the infant mortality rate. Some reasons for the inability to thrive and survive are the infants' immature system, allostatic load inadaptability, and undiversified and underdeveloped microbiota. Human breast milk (HBM) provides lifesaving nutrients, which prevents necrotizing enterocolitis and mortality. In addition, probiotic supplementation helps reduce late-onset sepsis, morbidities, and mortality. A literature review provided substantial evidence that HBM and probiotics can improve an infant's microbiota, thus improving thrivability and survivability. Probiotics offset the …

Staff Education To Promote Probiotic Breastfeeding Therapy, José Diaz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in children under 5. In addition, there are 22 million babies born underweight each year which also contributes to the infant mortality rate. Some reasons for the inability to thrive and survive are the infants' immature system, allostatic load inadaptability, and undiversified and underdeveloped microbiota. Human breast milk (HBM) provides lifesaving nutrients, which prevents necrotizing enterocolitis and mortality. In addition, probiotic supplementation helps reduce late-onset sepsis, morbidities, and mortality. A literature review provided substantial evidence that HBM and probiotics can improve an infant's microbiota, thus improving thrivability and survivability. Probiotics offset the …

The Impact Of Student-Led Lactation Education On Self-Efficacy In Clinical Simulation: An Integrative Literature Review, Kaitlyn Flores Yu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Simulation is a critical component of nursing education. It provides a safe environment to practice and evaluate skills, supplements clinical hours, and removes barriers to a well-rounded education. Nurses are expected to be educators as part of our scope of practice, and simulation can facilitate this. One topic of nursing importance is lactation education, as breastfeeding has been shown to have multiple benefits for both mother and baby. National rates of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months do not currently meet CDC recommendations. The pedagogy known as the Protégé Effect suggests that learning can be improved through teaching. Breastfeeding …

Tiny Tusks Internship: The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And Breastfeeding Barriers, Blair Finlinson

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tiny Tusks is a breastfeeding and infant support program developed by the nursing program at University of Arkansas. From 2021-2022, I have had the opportunity to complete my honors internship with this organization. Tiny Tusks was started with the goal of creating safe spaces for mothers to breastfeed and/or pump during school sporting events, along with providing up to date information on breastfeeding and infant safety practices. Tiny Tusks also provides changing tables, spaces for young children to decompress in a low-stimulation environment.

Association Between Breastfeeding, Oxytocin, And Risk Of Postpartum Hemorrhage, Jordan Davis, Sophia Nelson

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Rates of maternal morbidity and mortality are far too high in the United States compared to other developed countries. Additionally, breastfeeding is often poorly prioritized, leading to a negative community connotation and low rates of exclusive breastfeeding. The purpose of this study was to compile the available research on breastfeeding initiation and its association with risk for postpartum hemorrhage. Fifteen peer-reviewed articles were collected from databases and other scholarly articles and screened for correlation between breastfeeding and maternal health risk. Overall, many articles suggest that skin-to-skin contact and early initiation of breastfeeding may be the most effective way to reduce …

Tiny Tusks Breastfeeding And Infant Support: Breastfeeding's Effects On Maternal Mental Health, Anna Jacobs

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Breastfeeding has proven to be beneficial for infant health and maternal physical health, but there are variable outcomes for maternal mental health. This literature review explores the relationship between breastfeeding and maternal mental health, a topic that is often disregarded when discussing breastfeeding with mothers. After an internship with Tiny Tusks Breastfeeding and Infant Support, a program to make breastfeeding more accessible at Razorback Athletics events, maternal mental health related to breastfeeding was shown to be a topic in need of more current research. This objective of this literature review was to determine how breastfeeding can impact maternal mental health …

Prenatal Education For Black Mothers And Their Support Persons As An Intervention For Improving Initiation Of Breastfeeding, Sandra King

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: The benefits of breastfeeding are commonly known; however, the rates of exclusive breastfeeding among the Black community are less than those of other ethnic groups. Providing breastmilk or formula to an infant is an individual decision. Influential factors such as cultural background, employment status, socioeconomic status, level of education, and availability of support from family members and health care providers correlate with the method a mother chooses to feed her infant. Increasing breastfeeding initiation immediately after birth is a necessary precedent for uptake in the exclusivity of breastfeeding.

Purpose: This Doctor of Nursing Practice project aims to improve prenatal …

Tiny Tusks Internship: Barriers To Breastfeeding Surrounding Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Quinn Owen, Brianna Purser

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Breastfeeding has proven itself beneficial to both baby and mother for many reasons. However, many mothers do not breastfeed their infants. In fact, only 1 in 4 mothers breastfeed for the first 6 months of life. Experiences in the clinical setting and knowledge gained as interns for Tiny Tusks, a breastfeeding and infant support group for sporting events at the University of Arkansas, sparked the desire to understand the staggering statistic.This literature review seeks to understand barriers to breastfeeding, specifically, barriers to breastfeeding as it pertains to neonatal intensive care units (NICU).

Tiny Tusks Internship: Barriers To Breastfeeding Surrounding Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Brianna Purser, Quinn Owen

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

It is known that breastfeeding is beneficial to mothers and their children, and it is recommended that mothers exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of their infant's life. Despite this, in the United States only 1 in 4 infants is exclusively breastfed for the first six months. After being an intern for Tiny Tusks Breastfeeding and Infant Support, a program designed to facilitate and educate about breastfeeding, we have seen firsthand the barriers to breastfeeding. The goal of this literature review was to investigate barriers to breastfeeding specifically surrounding neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and how to address those …

Women’S Experiences Of Accessing Breastfeeding And Perinatal Health Support In The Context Of Intimate Partner Violence: An Interpretive Description Study, Samantha Larose

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: Women experiencing intimate partner violence are at a heightened risk of negative perinatal and breastfeeding outcomes. This study explored the experiences of accessing breastfeeding support for women who endorse a history of intimate partner violence. A study of five in-depth semi-structured interviews were completed at 12-weeks postpartum with breastfeeding mothers with a history of intimate partner violence. Findings: Women expressed difficulties in accessing a healthcare provider who had specialized skill in breastfeeding support. Trust in their healthcare provider, built through displays of compassion and competence, was important to mitigate obstacles experienced during care access for this population. Trauma-and-violence-informed care …

Staff Education Program: Increasing Nursing Knowledge Of Exclusive Breastfeeding, Leigh Anne Panek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn the initial postpartum period, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) improves women's and children's health status and outcomes. Gaps in nursing practice that decrease the rate of EBF during hospitalization at this site were identified by the lactation consultant using a standard chart audit during the last two years. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice education project was to provide a comprehensive education program that included the purpose, philosophy, nursing practice, and evaluation tools for increasing the EBF rates to meet the Joint Commission’s standard of improvement for perinatal care core measures. A formal educational program that included didactic and …

Improving Breastfeeding Establishment By Reducing The Use Of Bottles And Artificial Nipples With Medically Needed Supplementation In Full-Term Breastfed Infants: A Quality Improvement Project, Sara Fazzi Garcia

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Breastfeeding has long been strongly recommended by national and international organizations as a prevention of many common and chronic diseases. Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was developed to motivate hospitals to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. This Quality Improvement (QI) project aims at supporting the continuation of the Baby-Friendly designation at the organization is being implemented, by focusing on reducing the use of bottles and artificial nipples for medically necessary supplementation for full-term breastfed newborns.

Methods: The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework was utilized to guide this quality improvement project.

Intervention: Educational posters on the interference of the use …

Increasing Lactation Consultant Support To The Mch Unit, Daniella Grace Mcclendon

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Breastfeeding is the most beneficial feeding choice for newborns and one of the best ways for mothers to bond with their newborns. In the current Maternal Child Health (MCH) unit, exclusive breastfeeding rates have fallen lower than the unit’s goal of 82%.

Context: Exclusive breastfeeding, when a newborn consumes only human breastmilk, is not always an easy process to initiate immediately after birth and in the early postpartum period. On this specific unit, there is not enough lactation consultant support to provide all patients on the unit.

Interventions: This project considers adding additional lactation consultants to support the MCH …

Intention To Breastfeed: Breastfeeding Attitudes, Norms, Self-Efficacy, Social Support Network And Community Resources Of African American, Low-Income, Emerging Adult Women, Pregnant For The First Time, Sara E. Brown

Theses & Dissertations

African American (AA) women continue to have the lowest rates of breastfeeding. This continues to create a health disparity even though breastfeeding is extensively recognized in the scientific and health care communities as the optimal feeding choice for infants. This study examined the relationship between the external variables (social support network and community resources) and the explanatory variables (attitudes, norms, and perceived self-efficacy) and intention to breastfeed, for the AA, first time, low-income, emerging adult pregnant woman. The Integrated Behavior Model (IBM) was used as the theoretical framework to guide this study in better understanding the variables influencing breastfeeding intention. …

Breastfeeding In Public And The Impact Of Mass Media On Breastfeeding: An Expanded Literature Review, Hannah Underwood

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The choice a mother makes to breastfeed or to formula feed is a hotly debated topic in the United States today. The benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby are undeniable, but breastfeeding is difficult for some due to a plethora of barriers, notably a lack of social support. This literature review evaluates attitudes towards breastfeeding in public and how varying mass media formats can impact perceptions of breastfeeding and potentially breastfeeding implementation. Twenty articles with both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from Medline Complete EBSCO Host and PubMed for a comprehensive analysis. Among 283 total articles retrieved, …

The Creation Of A Template For The Incorporation Of A Human Milk Analyzer Into A Human Milk Bank, Sarah Rieber

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

A milk bank is a nonprofit service that collects, screens, and processes by pasteurization human milk that is donated by mothers not biologically related to the infant in need. Milk is then dispensed to hospitals and private homes to babies with a prescription. A milk bank collects and analyzes human milk, as breast milk is the ideal nutrition source and the gold standard feeding method for infants. Breast milk significantly reduces premature babies' chance of developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and offers gastrointestinal protection, increases immunity, decreases the likelihood of asthma, allergies, ear infections, obesity, and respiratory ailments. Some mothers …

Telehealth Breastfeeding: Best Practice Guideline, Laura Amabile

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Only 24.9% of United Stated infants are exclusively breastfed through six months. Healthy People 2020 breastfeeding goals include increasing the proportion of infant breastfed through six months to 60.6%. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action identified increasing access to International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants as a priority to improve breastfeeding percentages.

Purpose: Implementation of an evidence-based telehealth breastfeeding guideline, will provide mothers with consistent education regarding breastfeeding practices and guidance to overcome common obstacles, which will then result in increased confidence levels regarding breastfeeding and increase breastfeeding durations.

Study and Design: The Iowa model was utilized to guide this project. …

Development Of A Protocol For Perioperative Management Of The Breastfeeding Mother, Kayla Nyseth, Kelsey Park

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Facilitating breastfeeding is a public health priority, as disruption in lactation is associated with adverse health outcomes for the breastfeeding mother and child (ACOG, 2016). The need to take medication, maternal illness, and hospitalization are among the most common reasons women cite for ceasing breastfeeding before their projected goal (Odom, Li, Scanlon, Perrine, & Grummer-Strawn, 2013). Providing a healthcare team that encourages breastfeeding during the perioperative period can minimize interruptions in breastfeeding and optimize the benefits for both the mother and infant (Simon, Carabetta, Rieth & Barnett, 2018). Unfortunately, many anesthesia providers lack confidence related to breastfeeding and drug transfer. …