The role of the nurse practitioner in the implementation of group prenatal visits for aboriginal women: exploring a new type of care

Nurse practitioners in British Columbia have an opportunity to introduce an innovative model of prenatal care for Aboriginal women. BC Aboriginal women are at greater risk for pregnancy complications than non-Aboriginal women are. Prenatal care has traditionally offered standardized individual visits for every pregnant woman, regardless of their needs, preferences, or culture. Nurse practitioner (NP)-facilitated group prenatal visits (GPVs) have the potential to provide culturally relevant and accessible prenatal care. An integrative review of the literature demonstrates that by using the Centering Pregnancy model of group prenatal care, NPs can provide relevant, holistic, and safe GPVs. Group prenatal visits can improve the experience of prenatal care for Aboriginal women in British Columbia. Further research is recommended to explore the outcomes of NP-facilitated GPVs and define culturally relevant and safe prenatal care according to BC Aboriginal women. --P. 2.