WASHINGTON, DC, OCTOBER 3, 2023 — The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) released an article sharing outcomes from an analysis of the organization’s POST-BIRTH Warning Signs (PBWS) online education course, currently in use across the US to standardize parent education about common and potentially life-threatening postpartum complications.

“An Initiative to Improve Postpartum Discharge Education” appeared in Nursing for Women’s Health in August 2023, authored by Patricia D. Suplee, Robyn D’Oria, Kelly Larson, Deborah Kilday, Christine Eymold and Brea Onokpise.

Supported by a multiyear grant from Merck for Mothers, AWHONN collaborated with Premier Inc., The National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC), and the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) to evaluate the impact of wider dissemination of the PBWS online education course and to address racial disparities among women (people) of color related to pregnancy outcomes.

Analysis of data provided through grant collaboration with Premier Inc, showed:

  • An increase in knowledge retention about maternal morbidity and mortality based on pre- and post- PBWS online education course test scores
  • Increase in hospital utilization of the PBWS pre-discharge parent education
  • Nurse-perceived value in using a standardized education approach to parent education (including spouses, and partners) about PBWS and how to access urgent and emergent care
  • Increased awareness of the impact of bias and racism but also concern that many nurses do not perceive themselves as acknowledging racial bias
  • An increase in attentiveness to listening and validating concerns of people of color; yet a need to recognize implicit bias when providing care to people of color remains a concern
  • Increased confidence when teaching about PBWS
  • Further research is needed to examine the impact of the AWHONN PBWS program on maternal outcomes

“This is an important project to highlight the critical role of nurses in ensuring that all women and birthing people, regardless of known risk factors, understand they are at risk for potential postpartum complications and can benefit from a standardized approach to post-birth education,” said lead author Patricia Suplee.

About AWHONN

The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit membership organization. Our mission is to empower and support nurses caring for women, newborns, and their families through research, education, and advocacy.

About Merck for Mothers

This project was supported by funding from Merck, through its Merck for Mothers initiative. Merck had no role in the design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The content of this publication is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not represent the official views of Merck. Merck for Mothers is known as MSD for Mothers outside the United States and Canada.

###

For more information, please contact Shannon Doolin at 202-261-2410 or sdoolin@awhonn.org.