Nurses specializing in obstetrics understand the importance of ensuring a healthy mother and a healthy baby. In order to design a tailored pregnancy nursing care plan, it is necessary to have a baseline of the pregnant or post-partum patient's condition, whether that be hemorrhage, preeclampsia or ectopic pregnancy, to name a few. An effective nursing care plan for pregnancy patients should include assessment, promoting autonomy and patient teaching.
Assessment
Assessment, the first element in the nursing process, is what nurses use to establish baseline information for patients. This begins with a thorough head-to-toe overview. Assess the patient's head and neck, noting any enlarged lymph nodes, thyroid or other abnormalities. Moving down, check the patient's heart rate and breathing, and report any signs of shortness of breath. Also document the patient's fundal height and fetal assessment. Pay special attention to any edema in the extremities or subjective reports of pain in the calves. Laboratory results are also reviewed and documented.
Promoting Autonomy
As the pregnant patient watches their body change, she may begin to feel at a loss of control of her body or well-being. A pregnancy nursing care plan acknowledges and respects those feelings, while focusing on promoting patient autonomy. Interventions that the patient can perform for themselves should be included in the nursing care plan. For example, if a particular goal on the nursing care plan states that the patient will be free of nausea and vomiting by their third trimester, a patient intervention might include avoiding areas with strong or offensive smells and eating crackers. This allows the patient to feel proactive and more involved in their own health care maintenance.
Patient Education
Pregnancy nursing care plans most often include patient education listed as a goal and as a nursing intervention. Teaching the pregnant patient recognize normal and abnormal symptoms in her body provides an extra line of defense against fetal health risks that might otherwise go unnoticed or addressed too late. It also helps mothers-to-be feel more comfortable about the birthing process and post-partum life. This may include information about proper diet, the risks and benefits of medications and activities that should be avoided during pregnancy and immediately post-partum. Patient teaching also should include information on birthing options, breastfeeding and bottle feeding.
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