Abstract

Problem Statement: Maternal morbidity and mortality are a crucial health concern in the United States. Explicitly, in Illinois, from 2008-2017, there was an average of 75 women who died each year amid pregnancy or within one year of pregnancy, with the highest number, 103, reported in 2017 (IDPH, 2021). The Illinois Department of Public Health was the primary reporting organization used for research purposes, as this pertains more towards the DNP project, since the project was implemented in Illinois. Given the significance of this parental health issue, this student has chosen to implement a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project focused on parental health and maternal health concerns. The DNP project incorporated further education and screening measures for hypertension in pregnancy. In addition, the student created a questionnaire for participants in a parental health program to complete in an obstetrical and gynecological office setting, addressing how to properly monitor blood pressure, the signs and symptoms of hypertension, specifically preeclampsia, when to contact the office, treatment options available, and guidelines for preventing pregnancy-related complications. Upon completing the questionnaire, these participants received further education on the influence of hypertension during pregnancy, the signs and symptoms to monitor, and the impact of prompt medical treatment to improve health outcomes and reduce the risk of adverse events related to pregnancy-related hypertension. Following the educational piece, the participants completed a post-test questionnaire with the same questions as the pre-test questionnaire to assess their level of enhanced knowledge and effectiveness of the additional educational materials received.

Author Details

Elysse Rae O'Brien, DNP(c), BSN, RN - 6 years of nursing experience (IMC, ED, Ambulatory surgery (GI), clinical (walk-in clinic)

Nancy Semenza, PhD, RN;

Cynthia Bednarchik, DNP, APRN, FNP, PMHNP;

Cheryl Brown, MD

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

DNP Capstone Project

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Quality Improvement

Research Approach

Mixed/Multi Method Research

Keywords:

Pregnancy, Hypertension, Education, Hypertension in Pregnancy, Medical Screening, Patient Education

Advisor

Cynthia Bednarchik

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

St. John's College of Nursing

Degree Year

2026

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2026-05-18

Full Text of Presentation

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