Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
Committee Chair
Darlene Showalter
Committee Member
Tripp Nelson
Subject(s)
Septicemia--Diagnosis, Septicemia--Treatment, Pregnancy--Complications--Diagnosis, Pregnancy--Complications, Obstetrical emergencies, Medical protocols
Abstract
Obstetric sepsis is a disease that can be deadly and progress rapidly in patients. Sepsis is a leading cause of death in pregnancy, and many of these deaths have been deemed as preventable. Normal physiological changes of pregnancy make diagnosing sepsis challenging, and sepsis screening tools for the general adult population are not reliable in obstetric patients. Obstetric sepsis is an emergency and needs rapid recognition and treatment. At a large academic medical center, there was no obstetric sepsis screening tool or protocol, so sepsis was generally diagnosed in a pregnant or postpartum patient late in the infection cycle, and the rate of obstetric sepsis in the facility was significantly higher than the national average. An evidence-based obstetric sepsis care bundle was implemented in a high-risk, high-volume obstetric emergency department, utilizing a modified pregnancy screening tool, a treatment algorithm, and a provider order set. A total of 50 health care providers and registered nurses working in the obstetrical emergency department implemented the obstetric sepsis care bundle. 1300 women were screened using the pregnancy-modified screening tool, and compliance with screening ranged from 70-75% for the duration of the project, pointing to the sustainability of this project. 24 women screened positive, and the entire bundle was implemented, with 90% of lab draws and antibiotic administration falling within the benchmark time of 60 minutes or less after a positive screen. Implementation of this care bundle has increased clinicians’ awareness of obstetric sepsis and facilitated equitable care by facilitating non-objective, inclusive screening and uniform treatment if warranted.
Recommended Citation
Morrison, Rebecca, "Implementation of an obstetric sepsis care bundle in an obstetrical emergency department" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). 158.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-dnp/158