Parental Education for Taking Newborns Home from the Hospital

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Authors

Kacir, Nicole

Issue Date

2025-05-01

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Presentation

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Newborn , Readmission , Discharge , Education

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Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate if implementing a standardized nursing-driven postnatal discharge education would reduce readmission rates in the newborns up to thirty days of life. The standardized discharge educational topics were centered on the most common causes of newborn readmission including monitoring intake and output, preventing jaundice, temperature regulation, safe sleep, and preparing for respiratory season. Background: Both preventable and non-preventable newborn hospital readmissions can cause significant financial burdens for families and the healthcare system as a whole. The current literature suggests early, standardized parental newborn education can alert parents of concerning signs and symptoms in a newborn along with how to prevent certain risk factors for newborn readmissions. Sample/Setting: The setting for this quality improvement program was within the Family Birth Center (FBC) including the Labor and Delivery unit and a nine bed Level II NICU at the Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP). The sample population included mothers and their partners in the immediate postnatal period prior to initial hospital discharge after having a baby. Inclusion criteria for were newborns readmitted to CHOMP up to thirty days old were previously discharged from CHOMP after birth. Methods: This was a quality improvement project that utilized data collected via chart review. Readmission rates were calculated prior to, during, and after project implementation. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the characteristic of the study population. Results: After 16 weeks of project implementation, data was pulled from the EMR to evaluate newborn readmission rates in infants between 0 to 30 days old at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Conclusion: Newborn readmission rates decreased in 3 of the 4 categories in newborns 0 to 30 days old born at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula along with enhanced parental awareness on caring for the newborn.

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Creighton University

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Copyright is retained by the Author. A non-exclusive distribution right is granted to Creighton University

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