Nurses guide young moms to good health,
bright futures
For expectant moms, the impending arrival of a new baby is exciting. But for many
pregnant teens who don’t have social and financial support, pregnancy can be a frightening
experience. In the United States, the teen birth rate remains nine times higher than in other
developed countries, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pregnant teens are more likely to be at risk for inadequate prenatal care and fitness that can
lead to high blood pressure, preeclampsia, diabetes and other health issues. If left untreated,
these problems can result in complications for the baby including low birth weight and birth
defects.
Students and faculty in the School of Nursing at the UT Health Science Center San
Antonio are working to prevent health problems for pregnant teens and their babies through a
successful partnership with the Healy-Murphy Center and the UT Nursing Clinical Enterprise
(UTNCE) Wellness Clinic.
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The Healy-Murphy
Center is a non-profit
organization that has
been impacting youth in
San Antonio for more
than 120 years, focusing
on those who have
difficulty in succeeding in
traditional educational
environments. The center offers high school and GED programs, daycare for infants and
toddlers up to 5 years, as well as counseling services for teens and their children. The UTNCE
Wellness Clinic partnership adds prenatal, parenting and nutrition classes, and primary care
including well baby check-ups.
Under the direction of Julie Novak, D.N.Sc., RN, CPNP, FAANP, FAAN, professor and vice
dean, the UTNCE provides a nurse-led model of care that concentrates on health promotion
and disease prevention within the alternative high school/day care center.
More recently, through the UTNCE, nursing clinical assistant professors, Pamela Recto,
M.S.N., and Laura Sisk, M.S.N., are collaborating with the Healy-Murphy school nurse to provide
fitness classes to pregnant and post-partum teens at Healy-Murphy.
Through the program called the Healy-Murphy Fitness Project, nursing students work
with a group of about 10 to 12 pregnant and post-partum teens ranging in age from 14 to 17.
The students use theoretical foundations they learn in the classroom to develop and lead
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evidence-based, creative and engaging health and fitness lessons and activities each week. This
year, 36 nursing students are participating.
Sisk and Recto said they had no idea how their students would embrace the pilot
project.
”When we took the students to Healy-Murphy, showed them the gym and allowed them
to meet the teens, it didn’t take long to see the joy they took in impacting the teens’ lives,”
Recto said. “Their enthusiasm is contagious. They share their own personal stories, become
great role models and plant the seed in these teens for a future that includes higher education.
Every week we look forward to what the students will achieve.”
Sisk said the students take the project seriously, creating lessons on topics including
self-esteem, stress management and reduction, coping mechanisms, infant care, nutrition and
breast feeding.
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“They incorporate these topics into fun, fitness activities by creating relay games,
exercises, stroller stretches and so much more,” Sisk said.
Erin Bennett, who is earning her B.S.N, said the program has allowed her to grow. “The
Healy-Murphy program has been one of the best experiences of my life,” she said. “It has given
me confidence in communicating with high-risk adolescent teenage girls in a non-medical
setting. This is an opportunity many students don’t get. It is very rewarding to help these young
ladies.”
Debriefing sessions are held after each class. Students work in clinical groups and meet
independently outside of class to develop lessons based on a theoretical framework. They
communicate with their clinical groups to obtain feedback toward improvement, allowing them
to tailor and individualize lessons and create a workbook that serves as a reference guide for
the teens.
Recto said the Healy-Murphy teens also embrace the program.
“They ask questions, do not seem to feel intimidated and they open up and share with
our students,” she said. Nursing students are paired with teens during activities and each teen
receives a journal, incentive prizes and healthy snacks.
Bennett said surveys collected after the pilot indicated that most of the teens were
hesitant in the beginning. “But toward the end and on the last day of the program, all the teens
were so happy with what this program brought to them,” she said. “They enjoyed the yoga
exercises, nutrition circle and the games we would play in helping them learn to care for their
babies.”
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Bennett said some of the teen survey comments were:
•
“I really enjoyed this. I would invite more friends next time.”
•
“I hope you guys will be back.”
“It has been an amazing experience that both students and Healy-Murphy teens enjoy,”
Sisk said. “Our students exceeded expectations and are very committed. This innovative project
is an application of theory at its finest and is so much more than just a fitness project. Our
students feel a real connection to the program and it shows weekly in the activities we
accomplish.”
Dr. Novak helped sum it up by saying, “This successful pilot project is a great example of
our faculty integrating teaching, practice and research through our UTNCE Healy-Murphy
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Wellness Clinic. The Fitness Project reinforces our focus on healthy eating, active lifestyles and
special beginnings for these expectant teens.”
-End-
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