Undergraduate nursing students, trained as Birth companions, are providing labor support to vulnerable women in the community. In the last three decades, the ancient use of trained labor attendants has been introduced in hospital and birth center settings. Labor attendants have been referred to as doulas. Formal evaluation research has demonstrated positive quantitative and qualitative outcomes from formal labor support.
The School of Nursing identified a community need for labor support for vulnerable pregnant women. The Birth Companions program offers doula training and the opportunity for students to provide labor support to clients with faculty supervision. The program focuses on vulnerable women: young mothers, those with uncertain plans for labor support and those with special language, culture or educational needs.
To participate in the Birth Companions program, students complete an elective 2 credit course, “Community Perspectives on the Childbearing Process”. The course combines the theoretical and experiential components of the Doulas of North America (DONA) certification requirements with maternal-child and community nursing theories and practices. In addition to supporting women during labor, the Birth Companions offer a prenatal home visit to discuss the birth plan and offer other resources. During post-partum, the client and her newborn are visited to review the birth and discuss follow-up care.
Learning Objectives: The learner: 1.Will describe an innovative program offered to undergraduate nursing students to become birth companions 2. Will be able to discuss the effects of student nurse labor support on the birth experience 3. Will be able to discuss the potential benefits of doula training for future nurses 3
Keywords: Birth Outcomes, Nursing Education
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.