Disparities in the use of antenatal corticosteroids among women with hypertension in North Carolina.

Objective: To evaluate antenatal corticosteroids (ANS) use in pregnant women with hypertension.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of ANS use in the Perinatal Quality Collaborative of North Carolina between 2015 and 2017.

Results: Twenty-five centers participated, with 9% (1580/17,692) of mothers delivering at <34 weeks; of these, 81% (1286/1580) received a full course of ANS, which was not different between phases (p = 0.

Bringing Depth and Meaning to Perinatal Quality Improvement by Partnering With Patients.

The quality of maternal care in the United States has garnered attention as the public has been made aware of outcome data and stories of patients' experiences. Calls to action from national leaders include a focus on evidence-based clinical practice and on interventions that meaningfully include patients and their families in their own care and in identifying promising practices to fill existing gaps. This article provides a look at the methods to identify needs from the patient and family perspective to help improve the quality of maternal care.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning nurses' experiences in the workplace.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) nurses constitute one of the largest subgroups within the profession of nursing, yet there is very little empirical research in the nursing literature and virtually no attention to issues of discrimination and exclusion in the workplace by nursing education or professional nursing organizations. This study reports the findings of an online survey of 261 LGBTQ nurses from a database of an LGBTQ health advocacy organization. The survey contained both quantitative and qualitative items and revealed that many workplaces lacked policies and procedures that would make LGBTQ nurses feel safer and more included and that many coworkers, supervisors, and patients had exhibited discriminatory behavior or verbal harassment, sometimes leading to significant consequences for the LGBTQ worker.