Date of Award

Summer 2025

Project Type

Thesis

College or School

CHHS

Department

Nursing

Departments (Collect)

Nursing

Program or Major

Direct Entry Masters of Nursing

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Jordan Lavallee

Second Advisor

Pamela Kallmerten

Abstract

Background: Preeclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E) are leading contributors to maternal morbidity and mortality rates globally. Timely recognition and intervention are essential for improving maternal outcomes. However, evidence indicates that healthcare professionals often lack sufficient knowledge and confidence in managing these conditions, highlighting a critical need for ongoing education to ensure safe, effective care.

Local Problem: At a small maternity unit in Northern New England, nurses expressed concern about their preparedness to manage eclamptic seizures, a rare but high-risk obstetric emergency. Although preeclampsia is commonly encountered, eclampsia occurs infrequently, limiting staff exposure and hands-on experience. This combination of low frequency and high acuity raised concerns about skill retention and clinical confidence during emergencies. In response, the specific aim of this quality improvement project was to improve maternity nurses’ knowledge and confidence in recognizing and managing eclamptic seizures.

Methods: This quality improvement project utilized a pre-post intervention design. An evidence-based PowerPoint ® presentation was developed to reinforce best practices for recognizing and managing eclamptic seizures. Maternity nurses completed a pre-intervention survey assessing baseline knowledge and self-reported confidence, attended the educational session, and then completed a post-intervention survey. Descriptive analysis was used to compare responses and identify changes in knowledge and confidence.

Results: Ten nurses completed the pre-survey and seven completed the post-survey. Knowledge scores increased modestly from 95.0% to 96.4%. Confidence improved more substantially, with average scores rising from 3.65 to 4.44 out of 5. The greatest gains were in documentation and emergency response confidence.

Conclusions: Brief reeducation may help reinforce existing knowledge and increase confidence among maternity nurses in managing eclamptic seizures. While observed changes were modest, the results highlight areas for further development and may inform future initiatives that incorporate simulation or ongoing continuing education.

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