Nursing for Women''s Health最新文献

Despite advances across the globe in breastfeeding initiation rates, many families continue to report they are not meeting their breastfeeding goals. Concerns about milk supply, infant nutritional intake, and infant weight gain are among the most commonly cited reasons for early breastfeeding cessation. Nurses working with individuals during the perinatal period are uniquely positioned to educate families and offer evidence-based interventions to promote optimal milk supply, infant growth, and maternal mental and physical health. Such interventions include early and frequent skin-to-skin care, emptying of the breast, and professional lactation support. By implementing such evidence-based practices in the first hours after birth and connecting families to lactation support in the first 14 days, nurses can begin to help families achieve their breastfeeding goals.

Objective

To improve knowledge and competency in providing gender-affirming patient care among newly licensed registered nurses (RNs) working in sexual and reproductive health (SRH).

Design

Pilot, pretest/posttest, descriptive design.

Setting and Participants

Participating RNs were employed at a large academic health center in the southeastern United States. All RNs were providing SRH nursing and participating in the health center’s new nurse residency program.

Methods and Intervention

Participants completed an online synchronous training that introduced topics such as sex versus gender, gender dysphoria, and health disparities. This education was followed by in-person training, where an unfolding case study applied concepts to theoretical patient scenarios specific to reproductive health. Participants completed a 20-item survey with a single assessment retrospective pre–post design to measure change in knowledge and competency.

Results

Twelve RNs participated in this pilot study. Fewer than half had previously received instruction on providing care to trans∗ persons. Seven self-perceived knowledge and competency areas were evaluated with paired retrospective pre–post design questions. All areas measured showed increases from pretraining to posttraining. Participants also had the opportunity to respond to open-ended questions. Common themes identified in these responses include participants planning to maintain a greater awareness and intentionality with language and abandoning cisgender assumptions. Several participants also described health care–specific systemic barriers that could prevent a trans∗ patient from feeling comfortable.

Conclusion

Providing new graduate nurses with education specific to trans∗ patients may help them to feel more knowledgeable and competent when caring for these individuals in SRH settings.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a prevalent cause of acute lower respiratory tract illness that disproportionately affects older adults, young children, and infants, which can lead to hospitalizations and death. The health impact on the elderly and infants accentuates the need for effective preventive strategies. Arexvy is the first approved vaccine to prevent lower respiratory tract illness caused by RSV in older adults ages 60 and older. It contains recombinant respiratory syncytial virus glycoprotein F stabilized in the prefusion conformation. Arexvy offers approximately 83% protection in adults and appears to maintain effectiveness for up to two RSV seasons. The vaccine was generally well tolerated in clinical trials, with the most frequently observed and reported adverse events being mild to moderate injection site pain, fatigue, myalgia, headache, and arthralgia. This article includes a description of Arexvy, the target population, contraindications, side effects, and clinical implications when considering the use of this vaccine.

Many pregnant persons will experience neuropsychiatric conditions during pregnancy, including migraine, attention deficit disorder, depression, and anxiety. Treatment of each of these conditions requires shared decision-making among the individual, family, and health care team. Although medications may include risk, the benefits often outweigh the potential fetal risks. In this article, we review pharmacologic treatment options for each of these conditions and appropriate use in pregnancy to maintain the stability of conditions and to optimize maternal and fetal outcomes.

Objective

To examine the difference in prevalence of self-reported anxiety symptoms throughout pregnancy compared to clinical diagnosis of an anxiety disorder by a provider.

Design

Secondary data analysis of a prospective cohort study of 50 pregnant individuals.

Setting/Local Problem

Pregnant individuals commonly experience heightened anxiety symptoms, which are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. However, a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder by a health care provider is less common, which may result in insufficient mental health intervention.

Participants

Pregnant individuals were recruited at their first prenatal appointment and followed until birth.

Intervention/Measurements

We examined anxiety symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale Anxiety subscale. We conducted a medical record review to examine if pregnant individuals were clinically diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Results

Based on an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale Anxiety subscale cutoff score of ≥5, 40% (n = 20) of individuals experienced anxiety symptoms during pregnancy. However, only 16% (n = 8) of participants were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder by a health care provider.

Conclusion

Anxiety symptoms are prevalent throughout pregnancy and may be underdiagnosed by health care providers. An intervention to increase clinical diagnosis of an anxiety disorder and subsequent referral to a mental health specialist may be indicated.