Improving the Knowledge and Self-Efficacy of Emergency Department Registered Nurses on Providing Early Pregnancy Loss Care Through Online Education

Abstract

Emergency department nurses face multiple challenges when providing support and care to individuals experiencing grief related to early pregnancy loss. Evidence indicates that providing relevant information, protecting patient privacy, and supporting bereaved patients need to improve. This quality improvement project aimed to compare the knowledge and self-efficacy of emergency department nurses before and after completing an online learning module on early pregnancy loss. A quasi-experimental, pre-test and post-test design was used to address nurse self-efficacy and education for early pregnancy loss in a community hospital emergency department. Data were collected from 15 participants using the Iowa Clinician Questionnaire and the New Generalized Self-Efficacy tools. Measured outcomes included self-efficacy, knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions. Descriptive statistics and paired-samples Sign tests were used to analyze the data. The analysis indicated that a standardized online learning module regarding early pregnancy loss increased emergency department nurses' self-efficacy, knowledge, attitude, and perception related to early pregnancy loss. Increasing the emergency department nurses’ knowledge and self-efficacy in early pregnancy loss may improve the patient experience and decrease negative impacts on physical and psychological outcomes.