Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Project

College/School

College of Nursing

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Project Mentor

Jenny Curwen

Readers

Amber Dacy

Abstract

In the US, unintended pregnancies are associated with poorer maternal and fetal outcomes, especially among marginalized groups. Nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended, raising a significant need for proactive interventions. Authoritative bodies now view the incorporation of preconception care as an essential intervention. Many pregnancy intention screening tools are available, but there are no standard practice guidelines or recommendations. Providers experience challenges due to time constraints and ongoing changes inherent in reproductive goals that make pregnancy intention screening complex. To address this, this project implemented an in-person educational training session using a screening tool, the One Key Question, along with a toolkit for a rural primary care clinic. Procedures in this QI project included a pre- and post-survey with Likert-scale questions assessing the perceived feasibility, confidence, and acceptability of standardizing preconception counseling, the estimated number of patient encounters related to preconception counseling, and a three-question quiz. An eight week data analysis of Last Menstrual Period (LMP) documentation was conducted pre- and post- intervention to assess adherence to the standard practice of routinely updating the LMP. A mixed-methods approach was used for data analysis, incorporating descriptive statistics. Post-intervention findings demonstrated high levels of agreement regarding the feasibility, confidence, and acceptability of standardized preconception care, particularly among support staff. These results underscore the value of the training and toolkit in promoting routine preconception care, with the potential to strengthen patient-provider relationships and enhance patient autonomy in pregnancy planning.

Download

Share

COinS