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DelaBruere, Courtney A. W.

Nursing

2014

MS

The rate of births to adolescent mothers has increased over the past few years, with 329,797 babies born to women 15-19 years old in 2011 alone (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). While it is important to consider the developmental stage of the adolescent mothers and their perspective, it is also important to consider the perspective of the nurses caring for this population during the immediate postpartum period. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the nurses' perspective caring for the adolescent mother during the immediate postpartum period. Ten nurses participated in the study and were interviewed. Qualitative data analysis revealed three main themes: consideration of context, a respectful approach, and a frustrating, yet satisfying; challenge. The themes were supported by tlie lived experience described by these nurses. The knowledge generated from the nurses' perspective caring for this population helps to provide recommendations for practice and research in order for health care professionals to make decisions about caring for adolescent mothers.