Document Type

Capstone

Date of Award

2018

Keywords

Health and environmental sciences, Breastfeeding, Education, Nurses

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing (ND)

Department

Nursing

Subject Heading(s)

Health and environmental sciences; Breastfeeding; Education; Nurses; Nursing

Abstract

Breastfeeding is well-documented as the most beneficial method of infant feeding worldwide. There are numerous national initiatives present to improve breastfeeding outcomes. Despite knowledge and health care organization efforts, the recommendations of exclusive breastfeeding through six months of life with continued breastfeeding through one year of age are not being met. The purpose of this DNP project is to determine if a structured self-study educational program on breastfeeding recommendations, the 4th Edition of the Lactation Management Self-Study Modules created by Wellstart International™, provided to hospital nurses on a maternity unit in Central, New York with a Level One nursery, will improve nursing knowledge of appropriate breastfeeding practices, decrease variations in breastfeeding education provided to patients, and improve breastfeeding outcomes for the facility. The research study used a quasi-experimental design to determine how an educational program provided to hospital nurses impacts both their knowledge of breastfeeding as well as the breastfeeding outcomes for the hospital. This DNP project, along with the growing body of literature, supports the need for continued provision of education related to breastfeeding among nurses in direct care of breastfeeding mothers, and expresses a need for further research on this topic to optimize breastfeeding outcomes worldwide.

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