This issue of The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing focuses on burnout and resilience. Drs Greene and Gillespie conducted a qualitative descriptive study to describe the experiences of nurses working in a perinatal community health program. This work is important because burnout risk for nurses in public and community health studies is an understudied population. Several emergent themes arouse from this research, reminding us that nurses who work daily within the spheres of the social determinants of health can be at an increased risk for burnout.
Dr Breman's team surveyed postpartum individuals during the first wave of COVID-19 to capture their experiences in seeking access to contraception and lactation support. The experience of being postpartum during this unprecedented time is a reflection of both the challenges and the resiliency of postpartum individuals. As perinatal nurses, we need to reimagine how we can continue to use the virtual tools available to us to expand services and support postpartum mental health.
The next 2 perinatal articles revisit 2 instruments used to support maternal quality outcomes. The Maternal Infant Responsiveness Instrument (MIRI) was developed more than 20 years ago to measure maternal well-being. A narrative review reminds us that this is a valid and reliable measure that may be useful for assessing the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve maternal and infant well-being. The Robson Ten-Group Classification System (TGCS) has been endorsed by the World Health Organization. While the TGCS has been used globally, little was known about how this system has been used in the United States. A secondary data analysis using the Consortium on Safe Labor data set reveals that the TGCS can be a method for between-hospital comparisons, particularly for usage patterns of labor induction, cesarean birth, and trial of labor after cesarean birth.
Nurse burnout is a major component contributing to the current nursing shortage in the United States. In addition to those retiring and our inability to graduate sufficient numbers, it is estimated that 200 000 registered nurse vacancies will exist each year over the next decade. Therefore, methods to retain nurses in the workforce are imperative. One method that may address this important aspect in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is to improve and enhance effective communication strategies-between staff and between staff and parents.
In this issue, we present several articles focused on evaluating communication practices in the NICU. In our continuing education (CE) article, Dr Moloney and her colleagues from New Zealand describe their mixed-methods investigation that explored the perspectives and lived experiences of NICU parents, as well as healthcare, staff to determine if family-centered care could be improved. Their findings discuss how support for parents and staff is imperative for the effective implementation of family-centered care. Dr Chance from Troy University reports her team's findings from a qualitative study that examined the barriers and facilitators to effective interprofessional communication among NICU staff. Dr Chance and her team further examine how these factors impact nurse job satisfaction and patient safety. An interventional study assessing if defined nursing roles during Golden Hour care improved nursing confidence, patient care coordination, and infant outcomes is presented by Julena Ardern and colleagues from Auckland, New Zealand. Finally, Dr Walker et al examine how parental visitation restrictions affected the NICU parenting experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on their findings, they present a well-defined conceptual model that integrates parental feelings of safety with empathic communication and varying forms of emotional release.
In this issue's Neonatal Expert column, Dr Carole Kenner discusses the multifactorial aspects influencing nursing burnout in the NICU, including factors directly related to the recent pandemic. She further presents strategic initiatives to address this problem and promote nurse resilience, including work-life balance, managerial active listening, and stress reduction. This phenomenon is extremely important to the future success and sustainment of nursing, and the information presented in this column is extremely beneficial for all.
In our Breastfeeding column, Dr Leslie Parker discusses the challenges associated with racial disparities and mother's own milk (MOM) production and consumption. Of significant interest, Black infants are at a greater risk for poor MOM consumption, leading to greater chance of comorbidities. Dr Parker provides an in-depth and evidence-based analysis of current recommendations to reduce these disparities and improve short- and long-term outcomes of this vulnerable subpopulation.
Finally, in our Parting Thoughts section, Dr Terese Verklan responds to the recent increase in our nation's mass shootings and addresses unique educational and clinical practice issues when responding to these chaotic and critical situations. Using an evidence-based approach, Dr Verklan summarizes recommendations set forth following the recent clinical consensus conference organized by the Uniformed Services University's National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health. This novel method uses a pragmatic and organized process to comprehensively manage healthcare systems during the distressing influx of mass casualties. I am certain each of you will embrace these recommendations and strongly consider how your institution can incorporate this guidance to sufficiently prepare should the unthinkable happen. Thank you Dr Verklan for providing increased awareness and crucial nursing education on this pervasive and important issue.
As always, thank you for reading this interesting and diverse issue of JPNN. We value our committed audience and appreciate your continued support. We have exciting focus topics for 2024, including nutrition, nursing workforce issues, behavioral health and substance abuse, and selected topics in neonatology. Please feel free to send author inquiries to mailto:[email protected] or if you are interested in becoming a guest editor, neonatal editorial board member, or manuscript reviewer.
-Lynette Hamlin, PhD, RN, CNM, FACNM, FAAN
Perinatal Editor
-Terri Marin, PhD, NNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FNAP
Neonatal Editor