Effect of Orientation Guidelines on Responses and Coping Strategies Among Hospitalized High Risk Pregnant Women

Abstract

Women with a high-risk pregnancy often experience an emergency hospitalization and a threat to self and to fetus that has an adverse impact on both of them and their families. An intervention study was conducted at Ain Shams Maternity University Hospital,aiming to assessing the effect of orientation guidelines on responses and coping strategies among hospitalized high risk pregnant women. A purposive sample consisting of 45 hospitalized high risk pregnant women at Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital affiliated to Ain Shams University hospitals. Data were collected using: 1) Interviewing questionnaire including the following parts: A) Socio-demographic sheet. B) Health historysheet to assess current pregnancy, C) Mother’s knowledge regarding high risk pregnancy, 2) Scale for High risk pregnancy stressors & women’s responses to these stressors,3) Hamilton anxiety rating scale,and 4)Coping strategy scale. The result of this study showed that high risk pregnant women experienced variety of psychosocial, physical, environmental, and economical stressors, andthere were animprovements, with highly statistically significant differences between before and after application of orientation guidelinesfor those women regarding to their knowledge, responses and strategiesof coping with their stressorsrelated to high risk pregnancy and hospitalization. Recommendations: The application of the educational program for hospitalized high risk pregnant women regarding stress management, positive responses and adaptive coping to these stressors, and continuous training programs for the nurses regarding risky pregnancies and side effects of the bed rest to assist nurses in improving quality of care and developing stress management interventions that reduce stressors and enhance mediators. Further studies are needed to explain ways of caring that affect patient’s outcomes and to demonstrate the effectiveness of caring on patient’s outcomes.