Prenatal Care Implications for the Primary Care Provider

Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) are extensively trained in their programs of study and are certified and skilled to care for patients ranging from birth to death. Due to the significant amount of curricular content required in FNP programs, creative ways of disseminating education regarding specific populations, such as obstetrics, should be considered. Quality prenatal care is a multidimensional care process that encompasses treatment, intervention, prevention, and detection of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Routine visits assist in preventing complications of pregnancy. When FNPs understand the importance and purpose of quality prenatal care, including evidence-based recommendations, they can support and manage maternal and fetal effects of pregnancy. The purpose of the project was to design an online learning module for family nurse practitioners. An assessment was given prior to and following the educational learning module to evaluate the effectiveness of the module on the intended information. The project objectives include: 1) Identify evidence-based recommendations for prenatal care; 2) Create an educational module for FNPs and future providers in the primary care setting on how to effectively incorporate current evidence-base practice guidelines and management of prenatal patients in the primary care setting; 3) Distribute the educational module to local family providers and future providers; and 4) Disseminate findings to a larger audience. The literature provided evidence consistent with professional organizations in the best approaches in prenatal care. The educational module adapted adult learning models with content organized into a scenario-based learning format, while adhering closely to time guidelines. The information was summarized to cover basic obstetric information, warning signs, and recommendations for best prenatal care practices. This project was implemented using a voiceover PowerPoint learning platform via Canvas, with pre- and post-test questionnaires and module questionnaire evaluation. The module was presented to a test group comprised of FNP students, faculty and providers (N=21). Using a paired samples t-test, participants showed improvement in knowledge after completion of the module (p<.001). Recommendations and modifications were applied to the final educational module. The final project was distributed to a local family practice clinic. An application was submitted to the 41st CME conference at Snowbird for final dissemination. The purpose of a prenatal care module was for current and future providers to gain a better understanding of prenatal care. Increasing provider knowledge through an educational module will help decrease adverse outcomes when caring for the obstetric patient. This educational module offers an effective and efficient reference tool to address prenatal care in the primary care setting.