Nurses’ roles to Promote Long-acting Reversible Contraception Usage in Pregnant Adolescent through Humanized Care

Abstract

Adolescent pregnancy is an important public health problem in Thailand because it affects the health of teenage mothers and their newborns as well as economy and society. The departments of Health, Ministry of Public Health and relevant agencies have continuously prevented and solved teenage pregnancy problem such as promoting and supporting adolescent pregnancy to use long-acting reversible contraception. Thus, nurses play an important role to drive policies on long-acting reversible contraception usage in teenage mothers via family planning practices. Teenage mothers are not only entering into adulthood, but also having sensitive emotion including curiosity and trial. They tend to think and act on their own ideas without reason and thought due to lacking experiences. At the same time, they want to be accepted by friends and society. It is quite challenge for nurses to encourage a teen-mother taking appropriate long-acting reversible contraception.  Therefore, nurses should provide care to teenage mothers based on the concept of humanized care in which consists of the ability to 1) see holistically 2) see humanity and 3) see suffering of the others. Humanized care concept and approach could enhance the nurses’ self-understanding including understanding teenage mothers. Thus, the nurses provide kindly friendly and sincerely nursing care with truly helping teenage mothers along with effective nursing practices aimed at effective prevention of adolescent pregnancy