Nursing For Women's Health Tackles Communication With Pregnant Adolescents

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 16 Apr 2008 - 13:00 PDT

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Nurses' significant influence on pregnant adolescents and the importance of establishing effective and therapeutic communication is the focus of an article in the April/May issue of Nursing for Women's Health, the clinical practice journal of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).

"Adolescent pregnancy has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with approximately one million adolescent pregnancies each year," says Barbara Moran, PhD, CNM, president of AWHONN. "For many pregnant adolescents, contact with the health care system occurs through a nurse."

"Adolescents perceive nurses to be someone whom they can confide in and trust to provide them with accurate information," says Tammy C. King-Jones, RNC, article author and Magnet Program Director, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center." This places the nurse in an advantageous position to offer support, education and health care. However, if nurses are not able to effectively communicate with pregnant adolescents, this advantage could quickly disappear."

According to the article, effective and therapeutic communication occurs between nurses and pregnant adolescents when nurses:

- Remove biases and assumptions and bear in mind that pregnancy or parenthood can provide the impetus for positive behavior change;

- Become active listeners and use active listening, rather than passive hearing, to gain greater insight into the patient' s concerns, experiences, strengths and hopes for the future;

- Build a partnership and commitment to avoid the use of jargon and vernacular, authoritarian attire and demeanor, and patronizing tones when caring for the pregnant adolescent.

Acknowledgment of communication shortcomings and efforts to improve, will set nurses on the path to effective communication with pregnant adolescent patients, says King-Jones. And that, she adds, has the potential to result in improved health outcomes for this often underserved population.

About Nursing for Women's Health

Formerly AWHONN Lifelines, Nursing for Women' s Health is a bimonthly refereed clinical practice journal of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. The journal circulates to more than 25,000 nurses who care for women and newborns. Visit Nursing for Women's Health online.

About AWHONN

The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) is the foremost nursing authority that advances the health care of women and newborns through advocacy, research and the creation of high quality, evidence-based standards of care.

AWHONN's 22,000 members worldwide are clinicians, educators and executives who serve as patient care advocates focusing on the needs of women and infants.

A leader in professional development, AWHONN is the first and only association to be awarded the designation Premier Provider by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for innovation and excellence in Continuing Nursing Education.

AWHONN was founded in 1969 as the Nurses Association of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NAACOG). The association changed its name to AWHONN in 1993.

Association of Women' s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses