When two Seattle University nursing students learned about the alarmingly high mortality rates for black women before, during, and after pregnancy, they decided they needed to do something.
In collaboration with the then-CEO of Bird Bar Place, a nonprofit serving Black communities in Seattle and across the state, and a Seattle University College of Nursing professor who oversaw a year-long population health internship at the organization, the two of students achieved their goals. The final paper will be compiled into a high-quality journal article that will serve as an important resource for the nursing community.
Their paper, “Essential Nursing Actions to Reduce Inequalities for Black Women in the Perinatal Period,” was published late last year in the prestigious Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Neonatal Nursing.
Bethany Van Bac, 22, a registered nurse in the emergency department at Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, said she and Amy Powell, 23, are looking beyond the question of “what happens.” He says he wrote an article with “critical commentary” as a way to move forward. The problem is? ” and doing something about it.
Van Bak said the problem is clear: Black women die during childbirth due to racism, and this article helps highlight nurses' efforts.
“It can be something actionable and tangible that people can actually do to make a difference,” Van Berk said. “The problem is big enough that we need to do more than what has been done so far.”
Andrea Kopein-Sanderson, former CEO of Bird Bar Place, said that as interns at Bird Bar Place, students will have the skills necessary to build a case to support this initiative. He says he provided the organization with the following information:
Copein-Sanderson added that she and others could use the paper to pitch for funding or to other community service organizations to address the issue. This is also a personal issue for Kopein Sanderson, a Black mother of two and co-founder and co-executive director of the BIPOC ED Coalition.
Andrea Kopein Sanderson, former CEO of Bird Bar Place
“The Seattle University interns provided us with the space, time, and ability to better understand the issues and develop a case for assistance,” she says.
The critical comments made by the students were immediate and advocated five points for Black maternal and child health nurses:
- Understanding the drivers of health inequities for Black women.
- Think about implicit bias.
- Use a framework of respectful care for Black women.
- Conduct ethical research.
- Advocate for change.
“Our approach to this paper is not to just leave this problem alone,” van Berk said. “But how do we make this actually useful, not just to our viewers, but specifically to the nursing community?”
“Maternal mortality rates increased annually from 2019 to 2022, with Black women disproportionately affected,” the authors wrote in their paper. Black women die perinatally two to three times more often than white women, regardless of socioeconomic status or education level. ”
Currently a registered nurse in the medical/telemetry department at Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital in Los Angeles, Powell's experiences and internships at Seattle University have given her an accurate impression of nursing, both good and bad. He says he was given the following. She opened her eyes to health inequities.
Amy Powell, 23
“Knowing the statistics on this issue can be daunting and overwhelming,” Powell says. “However, this article outlines good places where nurses can make a difference in daily care by advocating for all patients.”
The national maternal mortality rate increased among non-Hispanic white women from before the COVID-19 pandemic until the government shutdown, rising nearly 49 percent from 17.9 in 2019 to 26.6 in 2021. did. A staggering increase in deaths among non-Hispanic black women.
Black women, who already have a much higher start than white women, have nearly a 56% increase in deaths during the “perinatal” period, with deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019. The number of deaths started at 44 and increased to 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021. .
The authors note that while the numbers are alarming, nurses know that despair is not an option.
“While this racial disparity may seem overwhelming on a macro scale, nurses are finding ways to take action,” the authors write.
Dr. Jennifer Frikas, assistant professor in the College of Nursing's School of Nursing, said year-long internships like the Population Health Internship provide mutually beneficial learning and service experiences with community partners. Previously, her clinical experience in population health nursing was limited to 10-week intervals. However, she points out that building relationships with community organizations and community members, building trust, and identifying beneficial engagement activities takes much more time.
A summary of the final product published in a peer-reviewed nursing journal is unusual, especially for undergraduate students.
“When I read this, I immediately realized that it was of very high quality and had the potential to become a peer-reviewed publication. So I reached out to students to gauge their interest in working on this work. ” says Frikas.
The road to publication is long, and although she has mentored three other listed authors through the 18-month process and has taught at SU for 16 years, this is her first time publishing with undergraduates. He said it was an experience.
“I was very impressed with how dedicated everyone was to the entire process,” Frikas says. “This was the result of a very successful team!”
