Evaluation Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluation Summary - Essay Example Needs of the PPD women are not usually met at the earliest point because of its delayed diagnosis. While delayed diagnosis leads to criticality of depression. This delay occurs due to the barriers such as social stigma towards mental illness as well as knowledge deficiency regarding the situation. Other objectives included assessing and identifying high risk group of PPD and developing a health education program for improving early detection and treatment of PPD. Women with complex needs such as alcoholic or drug abusers, domestically or sexually abused women are considered at highest risk, and require multidisciplinary care throughout pregnancy and after birth (Logsdon et al., 2010). To enhance safe and effective patient care, is only possible through application of evidence based nursing practices. Therefore, the literature search on the needs of postpartum depression patient and its early detection led to the conclusion that for ensuring safe clinical care it is responsibility of the prenatal nurses and childbirth educators to assess, educate, and support (if needed) every women regarding the symptoms and sources of help for PPD (Logsdon et al., 2010). ... The tools that are normally used for PPD detection are Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS), which is a 10 item self assessment questionnaire and focuses on the feelings of past seven days. However, the tool is highly validated. Other tools are also used, but are not as sensitive and validated as EPDS. However, the best assessment tool should include questions regarding risk factors such as social factors and quality of relationship with family members, abuse or history of depression prior to birth. By the end of the practicum it was clear that the application of prenatal psychosocial screening tool had better results in early detection of the PPD (McDonald et al., 2012). An informed decision making is possible after incorporating sound knowledge into it. Therefore, a review of current patient centered policy was undertaken as policy can be an important factor in the provision of quality patient care. It was found that the current regulations required healthcare providers to s ubmit annual data regarding screening of PPD and for this current screening method and data reporting requires to be expanded. The policy aims to utilize the information to provide optimal intervention for the patients (Mass.gov, 2013). Another objective of the learning program during the session was the evaluation of teaching methods to the new mothers regarding the symptoms of the PPD. It was found during the literature search that an individualized teaching plan is required that is based on women’s existing knowledge of the PPD. Treatment seeking behavior of women is facilitated when communication between nurses and new mothers take place. This requires empathetic tone of the nurse, explicit observations of teaching styles, social persuasion as well as