Date of Award

Summer 2018

Document Type

DNP Project Restricted

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

Committee Chairperson

Jacqueline Owens, DNP, CRNP

Committee Member

Debra Ruddy, DNP

Committee Member

Cheryl D. Schlamb, DNP, CRNP

Committee Member

Dr. Cheryl Monturo

Abstract

Research conducted since the 1980s has elucidated many benefits of skin-to-skin contact between mothers and their newborns. Despite evidence of these benefits, skin-to-skin contact after operative birth remains a challenge for many labor and delivery units and direct-care nurses. To promote evidence-based practice, a quality improvement project was designed to promote the clinical application of early skin-to-skin contact after Cesarean birth in a small, suburban, Magnet-designated hospital. Data were collected prior to and following the implementation of the practice change to recover newborns and mothers together in the postanesthesia care unit. Results: The incorporation of skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth was improved when a practice change was implemented to promote mother-newborn proximity during the first hour of life. The chi-square comparison was significant, χ2 (1, N = 127) = 6.53, p = .01. In addition, the postintervention group had significantly more successful breastfeeding initiation than did the preintervention group, χ2 (1, N = 130) = 5.63, p = .02.

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