Sperlich co-authors research on trauma-informed pain management during labor

Mickey Sperlich, PhD, associate professor in the University at Buffalo School of Social Work, co-authored a new paper investigating the effectiveness of a continuing education intervention for nurses around trauma-informed pain management in labor and delivery. 

The study was published in the Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing. 

Sperlich's colleagues on the project were lead author Kayla LeMarbe, a certified nurse-midwife at Oakland Macomb Obstetrics & Gynecology, as well as co-authors Yasamin Kusunoki, PhD, and Julia Seng, PhD, both faculty members from the University of Michigan School of Nursing.

Background

There is a gap in the availability of continuing education opportunities for labor and delivery nurses regarding trauma-informed perinatal care.

Method

A continuing education module on trauma-informed pain management in labor was created and distributed to 17 nurses in an intrapartum unit at a hospital in the midwestern United States. Changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills and intent to use trauma-informed principles were assessed using a pretest/post-test design and paired test analyses.

Results

Change in knowledge (p = .043) and skills (p = .011) was statistically significant. There were no statistically significant changes in attitudes.

Conclusion

Continuing education opportunities in trauma-informed perinatal care are needed for health care team members who provide care to trauma survivors in labor. Further research on the effectiveness of trauma-informed pain management in labor and birth is necessary to provide additional resources and recommendations for labor and delivery nurses.