Date of Award
Summer 2023
Document Type
Final DNP Paper
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Family Nurse Practitioner
Department
Nursing
Faculty Chair
Dr. Kimberly Helms
Preceptor
Dr. Teresa Byrd
Abstract
Background: Perinatal depression (PD), leading to suicide, ranked as a high cause of maternal mortality and was found to affect one out of 7 women in 2018, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) (2018). PD screening at the start of pregnancy care aims to achieve early referral to behavioral health resources (ACOG, 2018).
Purpose: The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to implement an evidenced-based PD screening protocol by presenting the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) to each initial prenatal visit patient (IPV).
Methods: Qualitative pre-data was collected, followed by qualitative post-data collected over six weeks. Pender’s Health Promotion Model (HPM) and the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) model provided foundational support for staff training, implementation of the EPDS, and continued workflow revision in this Quality Improvement (QI) project.
Results: Expected outcomes of the PD screening project were met with results indicating > 80% (z = 2.03, p = 0.021) patient participation. A demonstration of 100% staff consent, EPDS presentation at IPV, correct scoring, and behavioral health referral for scores >10 were received.
Conclusion: The PD screening project demonstrated the successful implementation of an ACOG benchmark recommendation for early perinatal period depression screening as supported by an extensive literature review.
Keywords: perinatal, antenatal, prenatal, depression, depression screening, Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, maternal mortality, initial prenatal visit, behavioral health referral.
Recommended Citation
Fuller, Michele, "Implementation of a Perinatal Depression Screening Protocol" (2023). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 90.
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/etds_nursing/90