Discovery: Topic and Practice Issue
The topic and the nursing practice issue related to this topic
The selected health-related topic is concerned with breastfeeding practices. The nursing practice issue is related to educating pregnant women and those who have just given birth on the significance of breastfeeding for the infants’ physical health and development.
The rationale for the topic selection. The scope of the issue/problem
The rationale behind the topic selected is that more and more women prefer not to breastfeed their babies without realizing the risks which their newborn children face. Meanwhile, the scope of the problem is considerable since only an insufficient number of babies receive breast milk exclusively during the first several months of their lives (Heidari, Keshvari, & Kohan, 2016). Research indicates that those newborns who are not breastfed exclusively over the first days after birth are more disposed to neonatal and early infant mortality than those who are breastfed exclusively (NEOVITA Study Group, 2016).
Summary: Evidence to Support Need for a Change
The practice problem and the PICOT question
The practice problem lies in need to offer more accessible and effective education on breastfeeding to women. Nurses are the specialists closely communicating with pregnant women and those who have given birth. Hence, it is crucial to initiate effective education interventions for the target population and make nurses the key members of the practice change team. Undoubtedly, it is easier to offer education to those women who are pregnant than to those immediately after giving birth. Thus, the PICOT question is, “In pregnant women (P), will an educational intervention (I) compared to no education (C) increase the breastfeeding rate (O) in a four-month period (T)?
The main findings from the systematic review and the strength of the evidence
The major findings from Sankar et al.’s (2015) systematic review refer to the infant and child mortality risks as related to breastfeeding practices. Scholars note that exclusive breastfeeding considerably decreases the levels of all-cause and infection-related mortality compared to non-breastfed, partially-breastfed, and predominantly breastfed infants. The strength of evidence is the highest since findings are based on the analysis and synthesis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Evidence-based solutions for the trial project
- Solution 1: teaching pregnant women about the importance of breastfeeding through lectures and consultations.
- Solution 2: educating pregnant women with the help of technological approaches (smartphone applications, Internet pages).
Translation: Action Plan
Care standards, practice guidelines, or protocols to support the intervention planning
Practice guidelines issued by the World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding up to the first six months of a child’s life (“Breastfeeding,” n.d.).
Stakeholders, their roles and responsibilities in the change process
- Nursing leader (me): arranging the intervention and monitoring results
- Nurse manager: implementing the intervention through distributing duties to nurses
- Nurses: providing education to patients
- Pregnant women: receiving education
The nursing role in the change process
My nursing role is the arrangement of the intervention and control over it. Other nursing roles are related to the implementation of the change and reporting about achievements or barriers.
Stakeholders by position titles important to the project
- Nurse manager: control the process.
- Nurses: implement the education plan.
- Pregnant women: receive education and change the practice to better.
The type of cost analysis that will be needed prior to a trial
- Cost analysis: expenses for printing out educational materials and installing applications.
- People involved: nursing manager, the financial officer of the department.
Implementation
The process for gaining permission to plan and begin a trial
To gain permission, it will be necessary to address the hospital’s administration. There is no specific committee involved, but it might be necessary to gather a brief meeting.
The plan for educating the staff about the change process trial
A one-time general meeting of all the nursing stakeholders will be held a week prior to change implementation. They will be asked to participate by sharing their knowledge and experience.
The implementation timeline for the change process
Start time: January 2020.
End time: May 2020.
Steps: providing education, gathering feedback, recording and analyzing results, disseminating findings.
The measurable outcomes based on the PICOT
The measurable outcomes are the rates of exclusive breastfeeding and infant mortality. They will be measured based on the hospital’s records.
The forms for recording purposes during the pilot change process
Not applicable.
The resources available to staff during the change pilot
Printed materials, Internet resources, smartphone applications.
The meetings of certain stakeholders throughout the trial
There will not be any meetings.
Evaluation
Reporting the outcomes of the trial
A report will be prepared at the end.
The next steps for the use of the change process information
An article will be published in a professional journal.
References
Breastfeeding. (n.d.). Web.
Heidari, Z., Keshvari, M., & Kohan, S. (2016). Breastfeeding promotion, challenges and barriers: A qualitative research. International Journal of Pediatrics, 4(5), 1687–1685. Web.
NEOVITA Study Group. (2016). Timing of initiation, patterns of breastfeeding, and infant survival: Prospective analysis of pooled data from three randomised trials. The Lancet Global Health, 4(4), e266–e275. Web.
Sankar, M. J., Sinha, B., Chowdhury, R., Bhandari, N., Taneja, S., Martines, J., & Bahl, R. (2015). Optimal breastfeeding practices and infant and child mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Paediatrica, 104, 3–13. Web.