Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

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Department

Nursing

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Abstract

More than one of five pregnant persons will undergo a medically indicated induction of labor. Induction of labor can increase the risk of additional interventions and complications during labor, such as cesarean section, longer hospital length of stay (LOS), and reduced patient satisfaction with their birth experience. Cervical ripening is an established practice that reduces these risks and improves outcomes for patients requiring labor induction. Intracervical single-balloon Foley catheter (FC) placement is a standard cervical ripening method often used in the outpatient setting. This project was designed to implement a process change within an obstetrics clinic to offer eligible patients outpatient FC cervical ripening before inpatient hospital admission for induction of labor. The patients who chose outpatient FC placement, n=13, experienced a 15.64% lower risk of cesarean section and a 1.81-hour shorter hospital LOS, on average, when compared to baseline data for inpatient induction of labors. Provider participation was lower than expected, contributing to the low sample size; because of the low sample size, statistical significance for the outcome measures could not be established. Continued data collection at this clinic is recommended to assess the significance of findings.

Keywords

balloon, catheter, Foley balloon, Foley catheter, cervical ripening, outpatient, induction of labor, cesarean section, hospital length of stay

Advisor

Dr. Jenny Manry

Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

DNP Project

Rights

© The Author

Additional Files
2025_DNP_Sander, J Poster.pdf (262 kB)
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