Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Capstone

Keywords

Breastfeeding, breastfeeding barriers, advanced practice registered nurses, APRN

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Degree Level

Graduate

Advisor/Mentor

Shreve, Marilou

Committee Member

Ballentine, Hope

Second Committee Member

Scott, Allison

Third Committee Member

Kruse, Carmel

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding is the biological way to provide active and passive immunity, as well as necessary nutrients, to infants while concurrently providing multiple health benefits for mothers. Even though evidence is readily available to support the argument to breastfeed, United States’ breastfeeding rates fall below Healthy People 2030 goals. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in primary care settings are in a prime position to give education and create care plans to support breastfeeding mothers to improve breastfeeding rates but literature supports APRNs lack confidence to do so. An APRN is likely to defer care to another provider to address any questions regarding breastfeeding care due to a sense of inadequacy, thus making mothers feel disappointed and unsupported by their provider, leading to a cessation of breastfeeding (Chesnel et al., 2022). There is minimal research available that address solutions in increasing confidence.

Methods: This project explored APRNs perception of barriers to promoting and supporting breastfeeding. The survey was a modified version of a previously used survey that assessed APRN attitudes, education, knowledge, and skills surrounding breastfeeding promotion and support.

Results: On overall education and knowledge, the average response of 3.08 based on a Likert scale measuring from not prepared (1) to extremely prepared (5). APRNs scored an average 2.81 when assessing breastfeeding assessment and management skills, 1 being no skill level and 5 being expert level. APRNs scored an average (4.85) when assessing their perceived importance of breastfeeding management in primary care, 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree. The level of importance that practice setting barriers have on affectively promoting and supporting breastfeeding scored an average 3.91 amongst participating APRNs with 1 being not important at all and 5 being extremely important. In the open text suggestions, five APRNs suggested more education.

Conclusion: This study support previously conducted studies conclusions that more education and more access to resources, such as lactation consultants and midwives, are needed to aid APRNs. When these barriers are addressed, breastfeeding metrics can only improve.

Keywords: advanced practice registered nurses, breastfeeding, promotion, support, education, knowledge, attitude, skills

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