Date of Award

6-20-2012

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Nursing (MAN)

Department

Nursing

Abstract

In the United States, nearly all women choose to give birth in a hospital and a large majority of women intend to nourish their baby with breast milk. In the hospital setting, the perinatal nurse is vital in supporting, educating, and caring for new mothers as they learn to breastfeed their baby. Yet, everyday women give up on their goal to initiate or continue breastfeeding, often citing variables relating to inpatient nursing care as the reason. An exploration into current research and literature uncovers how the nurse's role impacts a new mother's breastfeeding experience and ability to achieve her goal of nursing her baby. Using Dr. Jean Watson's Theory of Transpersonal Caring (Watson, 2008) and the concept storytelling as foundation elements, this project will utilize a metaphor to educate nurses of the critical role they play in creating and maintaining a caring environment that fosters a positive experience for mothers choosing to breastfeed their infants. By helping nurses to better understand their role, this project will work to ensure that the impact the nurse has on a mother's breastfeeding experience is positive, caring, and supportive.

Identifier

SC 11.MAN.2012.Holman.KG

Included in

Nursing Commons

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