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Hospitalization and separation from family and loved ones can be both stressful and lonely for patients confronted with illness.  A long-term antepartum hospitalization with a complicated pregnancy, apart from the physical demands of long-term bedrest, can also present additional emotional challenges. There is a growing emphasis on the improvement of hospitalization by integrating healing and therapeutic environments. Our challenge was to investigate interventions and programs to achieve our goal of providing a hospital experience that comprehensively integrates complimentary and innovative therapies into the routine clinical care, and to successfully weave evidenced-based solutions into the art and science of caring for the antepartum patient population.

At Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women in San Diego, our 18-bed Perinatal Special Care Unit (PSCU) has an average daily census of 18.6 patients and is the largest antepartum unit in the county.  With hospitalizations ranging from a few days to many months, it has become increasingly evident that our patient’s require a deeper dimension of care options outside of routine hospital care.  With the help of a supportive leadership team we have been able to develop and implement an innovative program for our PSCU patients.

Our unit currently provides weekly support groups and multidisciplinary rounds for our patients. We have since moved forward with the development of four new programs specifically designed for our population on PSCU. Our first program implemented was “Arts-for-Healing”.  This program, offered twice a week, consists of both group activity work and individual bedside projects.  Our weekly On-Unit Education Groups provide our patients the opportunity to attend classes on prepared childbirth, breastfeeding, and gestational diabetes.  Pet Encounter Therapy visits are provided monthly at the bedside, and lastly, availability of Pregnancy Comfort Massage services. Other therapies also provided include Reiki, Aromatherapy and Healing Touch all of which may be performed in our newly renovated “Healing/Treatment Room” so patients are able to leave their rooms and be treated in a spa-like environment for not only these complimentary therapies, but for ultrasonography procedures as well.

Since the implementation of these programs, we have collected data with post activity evaluation forms. The evaluation is comprised of six statements all of which are rated on a scale from 1-5;
5 denoting “Extremely Effective” and 1 “Not Effective”. The statements are as follows:How did your experience with (name of program) affect the following?   

	Arts-for-Healing	Pet Therapy	Comfort Massage
Your Mood	4.76	4.90	4.93
Your Feelings of Hope	4.67	4.75	4.57
Your Sense of Relaxation	4.70	4.85	5.00
Your Interactions with Others	4.72	4.80	3.85
Your Feelings of Well-Being	4.68	4.75	4.79
Your Physical Comfort	N/A	4.80	4.79

Current literature provides supportive data for the implementation of pet therapy, massage, and other complimentary modalities into the care of hospitalized patients. However, there is limited data and information regarding the integration of many of these therapies with this specific population of patients.  It is out goal at Sharp Healthcare to open the doors and invite this care to be incorporated into the obstetrical arena.