221 - Perinatal Nurse Navigator (PNN) Program: Supporting Patient Safety by Improving Multidisciplinary Team Preparedness in High-Risk Deliveries

Poster Number: 221
Publication Number: 221.258

Background: Pregnancies that are high-risk, for maternal or fetal reasons, are stressful for families and can be challenging for the multidisciplinary healthcare team. Maternal and neonatal outcomes may be negatively affected by gaps in communication among providers, lack of documentation of comorbidities, and underutilization of resources in healthcare systems. Early recognition of potential issues and healthcare disparities, provision of targeted education and consultations, and timely development of management plans across disciplines is essential for patient safety, delivery of high quality care, and improved family experience.

Objective: Develop a perinatal nursing navigator program to enhance multidisciplinary team collaboration, with a focus on birth equity and support of families with high-risk pregnancies.

Design/Methods: A perinatal nursing navigator (PNN) program was started in our institution in April 2021 to help patients navigate complex pregnancies and to improve multidisciplinary team readiness in caring for families with high-risk pregnancies, based on both neonatal and maternal indications. We performed a prospective data analysis of patient volume, demographics (ethnicity/race), clinical indications and morbidities, and outcomes of delivery (ICU/NICU), as well as tracking of consultations and referrals (anesthesia, neonatology, subspecialty, mental health), interdisciplinary conferences and education, and provider and patient satisfaction survey scores.

Results: From February 2021 to October 2023, 940 patients were referred to PNN program (97 from February to December 2021, 365 in 2022, and 478 from January to October 2023). The most frequent indications were placental anomalies (16.8%) and fetal cardiac anomalies (15%). We had 443 anesthesia and neonatology consults (58 in 2021, 208 in 2022, 177 in 2023), as well as 57 multidisciplinary conferences (OB, anesthesia, MFM, neonatology, nursing, subspecialties, etc.). Preliminary results are provided in attached graphs.

Conclusion(s): Perinatal nursing navigator program development and application of evidence-based strategies in a personalized, patient-centered care model suggest improved patient safety, quality, and equity of care, with the increasing number of referrals and diversity of disciplines. We aim to narrow healthcare disparity gaps, improve patient and provider satisfaction, support maternal mental health, and establish appropriate resource allocation. Ongoing data collection and further analysis is necessary for the evaluation of long-term program success.