Teen Pregnancy High-Risk Family Health Promotion: Teen

Teen Pregnancy

High-Risk Family Health Promotion: Teen Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy is a problem in the United States which has enormous consequences for both the individuals who are immediately concerned with the pregnancy and the public at large. The role of family nursing in assisting young mothers cannot be understated, but prevention and education are the primary goals of family nursing. Nurses must realize the adverse consequences that can occur when a teen becomes pregnant, understand how to advocate for the teen and have the personal skills to positively affect the patient.

The United States continues to have an epidemic of teen pregnancies. The United States leads the world in all categories of teen pregnancy. In 2006 more than 750,000 women below the age of 2o became pregnant (Gutmacher Instittute, 2010, 2). This is actually a low number as the birth rate per 1,000 representative women was only 71.5. However, this figure had increased slightly from 2005. The percentage of teens who become pregnant had dropped to 7% of the teen population also.

Teens, in general, are among the healthiest age group, but health risks increase dramatically for young women who become pregnant. Teens are much more likely than older women to try and hide their pregnancy or to miss health checkups (Pregnant Teen Help, 2010). This means that they these teens are also more likely to have complications with their pregnancies and not receive the healthcare assistance that they need. Teen mothers are also at a greater risk for high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and early birth. Thus, they have a greater need of prenatal healthcare and are much less likely to receive same (Sastry & Pebly, 2010).

The children of mothers who delivered them as teens are also less likely to thrive as they develop. Teen mothers are more likely to live below the poverty line (Guttmacher Institute, 2010). Thus, their children do not receive the healthcare they require, they perform poorer in school (Sastry & Pebly, 2010), and they are more at risk for future health complications.

The nursing staff who work with teen mothers need to understand how best to assist these young women prior to and after they become pregnant. Since the teen mother is less likely to have had proper prenatal care, the family nurse must make sure that the teen sees a qualified health professional as soon as possible. The assessment must include such data as level of support in the home, whether the teen has attended any prenatal health sessions, the likelihood of maintaining or aborting the pregnancy, and what other community supports are available (WHO, 2002). Ensuring that the teen follows up with the needed care is critical to the health and well-being of both the child and the mother.

Family theories abound in the area of family nursing which address some of the stresses involved with teen pregnancy. Conger's family stress model says that family is a significant cause of the negative emotions one experiences, so when a stressful event occurs, such as a teen pregnancy, this inordinately increases the stress levels of the people involved and can cause adverse consequences. The model basically sees family stress as a circular procession in which child outcomes, parenting indicators, poverty and stress indicators can all play a part (Friedman, Bowden & Jones, 2003). The other model that has some features that would do well to explain how family nursing can assist in the article of teen pregnancy is Orem's self-care theory. Orem said that the goal of nursing is to meet the needs of the patient in such a way that they are capable of meeting their own healthcare needs (Friedman, Bowden & Jones, 2003). This model is about the education of the individual which is required to prevent negative health consequences.

Both of these models have aspects that would make them a good study for nurses who are studying the issue of teen pregnancy. The family stress model shows what can occur and the consequences of the family's actions. Orem's model is a help to healthcare professionals in understanding what is needed by the patient.

Another reliable resource that nurses have is the Healthy People website. Healthy People is an organization that who's goals are to "increase quality and years of healthy life," and "eliminate health disparities" (Healthy People, 2010). They have determined 28 focus areas which will address the major health concerns of the people of the United States. Among these 28 are five issues -- access to quality health services, educational and community-based programs, family planning, maternal infant and child health, sexually transmitted diseases -- which are specifically applicable to teen pregnancy. Teen mothers and teens who are pregnant, need to have guidance relative to all of these issues.

Since nurses are among the most trusted people in healthcare, patients see them as advocates, and people who are intimately familiar with their health issues. Thus, when it comes to community and family healthcare, nurses are the front line for people who are facing health issues. A nurse is often less intimidating than a doctor, so it is easier for him or her to interact positively with the public.

Pregnant teens are already intimidated by their situation, so they need an advocate who they feel is not judging them and does not have an authoritarian air. Although medical schools have actively tried to divorce doctors from the, so-called, god complex, it is many time difficult for patients to discuss health issues with them honestly. Thus, it is often the job of the nurse to confront these issues directly and make the patient feel comfortable with the information that they are receiving.