Holistic Care Partners: A Black Woman-led Nurse Navigation Program to Improve Care, Reduce Harm, and Enhance Perinatal Wellbeing for Black Birthing People

Summary

The study aims to build on the knowledge of the United States' ongoing maternal health crisis for Black birthing people. The study team will take a holistic focused approach to build on the experiences of Black women perinatal nurses, Black women/birthing people, and their care partners enrolled in the Holistic Care Partner Program (HCP) to understand the program's feasibility and acceptability. HCP was developed at NYU Langone Health by Blank women-led perinatal nurses to address the effects of obstetric racism and the associated fear of pregnancy and birth faced by Black women and birthing people. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study will focus on understanding HCP's acceptability and feasibility via surveys and qualitative interviews with Black women and birthing people and their partners/support persons to identify strategies and recommendations for intervention improvement. Exploratory analysis of maternal and infant outcomes will be conducted using a propensity score matched historical control group.

Eligibility

Age range

18+ years

Sex

Female

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Interventions

• Behavioral
  Holistic care partner perinatal nurse navigation

  The nurse navigators assess patient medical, social, and structural needs at enrollment, 20-, 28-, and 36-weeks gestation; and at 1-week, and 3, 6, and 9 months postpartum. They provide coordination, support, and referrals, and enhanced communication with or escalate concerns to the primary physician as indicated. The nurse navigator tailors additional visits to the individual needs of the patients (for example, managing comorbidities, social isolation, breastfeeding support). Participants also have access to a Black woman-led support group during pregnancy and the first postpartum year, and access to Black woman-led childbirth and lactation classes.

Location