Further investigation is required into ways of supporting young mothers and how caregivers provide support to breastfeeding mothers in the early weeks after childbirth.

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Background Thirst is a common, intense symptom reported by hospitalized patients. No studies indicate frequency of use of ice water and lip moisturizer with menthol to ameliorate thirst and dry mouth. In an audit of 30 intensive care unit patients at a 580-bed community teaching hospital, 66% reported dry mouth with higher thirst distress and intensity scores than in published studies. Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of scheduled use of ice water oral swabs and lip moisturizer with menthol compared with unscheduled use in relieving thirst and dry mouth for intensive care unit patients. Methods In a quasi-experimental design, adult patients admitted to 2 intensive care units at a community hospital were provided with ice water oral swabs and lip moisturizer with menthol upon request. The intervention was unscheduled in 1 unit and scheduled in the other unit. The scheduled intervention was provided hourly during a 7-hour period (n = 62 participants). The unscheduled intervention consisted of usual care (n = 41 participants). A numeric rating scale (0-10) was used to measure thirst intensity, thirst distress, and dry mouth before and after 7 hours in both groups. Results The scheduled-use group had significant lessening of thirst intensity (P = .02) and dry mouth (P = .008). Thirst distress in the scheduled-use group did not differ from that in the unscheduled-use group (P = .07). Conclusion Scheduled use of ice water oral swabs and lip moisturizer with menthol may lessen thirst intensity and dry mouth in critical care patients.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation of an evidence-based, streamlined, education process (comprehensive education booklet, individualized education plan, and integration of education into the clinical pathway) and nurse education to improve the quality and efficiency of postpartum education during hospitalization. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used to measure the quality of discharge teaching for new mothers and efficiency of the education process for registered nurses before and after implementation of an intervention. Results indicated that a comprehensive educational booklet and enhanced documentation can improve efficiency in the patient education process for nurses. Education, 21(4), 238-247, http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/1058-1243.21.4.238 Keywords: postpartum period, postnatal care, teaching, patient education The Journal of PerinatalThe new mother is expected to demonstrate knowledge and confidence in her ability to provide adequate care for herself and her newborn prior to discharge from the hospital (American Academy of Pediatrics & American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology [AAP & ACOG], 2007). During the hospital stay, information provided to new mothers about self-care and newborn care can allay concerns and boost confidence levels (Mantha, Davies, Moyer, & Crowe, 2008). The amount of education that is mandated by government and regulatory agencies and recommended by professional organizations for the postpartum mother may be overwhelming, and brief postpartum hospital stays leave insufficient time for nurses to address a new mother's learning needs effectively. Devastating outcomes for the infant and family may result when new mothers do not understand newborn care issues prior to discharge. Limited evidence is available that addresses the health outcomes of in-hospital education; however, a study by Weiss and Lokken (2009) found that poor quality discharge education was associated with more newborn emergency room or urgent care visits. Nurses need to know what strategies facilitate an efficient postpartum educational process in the hospital setting.The amount of education that is mandated by government and regulatory agencies and recommended by professional organizations for the postpartum mother may be overwhelming, and brief postpartum hospital stays leave insufficient time for nurses to address a new mother's learning needs effectively.Improving Postpartum Education | Buchko et al. 239 REVIEW OF LITERATUREThe challenges of providing postpartum and newborn education suggest the need for a streamlined, coordinated approach that will provide information that mothers find useful when transitioning from hospital to home. MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Google Scholar, and The Cochrane Library databases were searched using the key words postpartum period, postnatal care, teaching, teaching materials, teaching methods, learning methods, and patient education to identify strategies for nurses to use to provide quality post...

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