Continuing Education Intervention: Trauma-Informed Pain Management in Labor and Delivery

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-posttest design and paired t 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 traumainformed 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.