High Risk Delivery Checklists: Evaluating Stress Reduction and Communication

Improve communication and decrease stress reduction by consistent use of high-risk delivery checklists. Communication has shown to decrease the risk of sentinel events. Limited knowledge exists on the use of high-risk delivery checklists and its effect on stress and communication. Qualitative methods were used to measure whether communication improved with checklists using a triangulation process. Quantitative methods were used to measure stress related to high-risk deliveries for nurses who were new to the delivery team using pre and post surveys over a three-month period. Results showed no statistical significance in stress reduction, though several themes were identified for communication while using the checklists. Lack of participation was a major determinant of the study. Improvement in communication and stress reduction was identified as stated by participants in the study. Continued research is needed on the impact of checklists in healthcare.