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Increasing access to maternity care in rural Georgia through public health advocacy

Georgia has the second highest maternal mortality rate and eighth highest infant mortality rate in the country. Regardless of location, race, socioeconomic class or education level, access to quality maternity care will significantly improve the outcomes for both mother and baby. In 2012, the maternal mortality rate in rural Georgia was 24.3% compared to 16.5% in non-rural Georgia. Increasing the use of well-trained Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) is essential to the provision of high-quality rural maternity care throughout pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. Including CNMs as preceptors in the Georgia Preceptor Tax Incentive Program (GAPTIP) policy can increase the quantity of midwives who will practice in the rural areas. Nurses need education in the role of advocate in order to change policies and systems that effect the population they are caring for. The purpose of this project was to implement a public health education intervention with nurses and nursing students on how to address increasing access to quality maternity care in rural Georgia through public health advocacy as an initial phase in addressing this problem of healthcare access.