Cent Eur J Nurs Midw 2025, 16(3):2271-2284 | DOI: 10.15452/cejnm.2025.16.0022

Nurse Navigator Program in maternity clinics as a quality component of family support services

Alexander Hochmuth1,2, Christoph Dockweiler3
1 Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, Osnabrück, Germany
2 Practice Development in Nursing, Kreiskliniken Herford-Bünde (KKHB), Herford, Germany
3 Department of Social Sciences, Chair of Digital Public Health, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany

Aim: Exploration of counseling contents and the role of nurse navigators (NN) in maternity clinics to support parents (and parents-to-be).

Design: A retrospective descriptive study.

Methods: A content analysis along with the development of initial categories of selected characteristics was conducted based on the written documentation of NN conversations from the pilot phase, covering the period from January 2021 to December 2023 (36 months).

Results: A total of n = 757 conversations with pregnant women and parents (and parents-to-be) were documented, and n = 707 were included. Consultations occurred in person (65.6%), by phone (27.4%), or both (6.9%). A total of 82.9% of parents and (parents-to-be) reported stressors, which were addressed individually. Key focus areas included health-related topics, referrals for postpartum midwives, contact with authorities and health insurance providers, and ensuring pediatric follow-up care.

Conclusion: Introducing an Nurse Navigator Program (NNP) in hospitals creates opportunities but also challenges that require dialogue. Clear role delineation and collaboration with breast-care nursing and midwifery services are crucial for effective maternity care cooperation.

Keywords: case management, document analysis, family nursing, hospital, nurse navigator, obstetrics

Received: January 17, 2025; Revised: May 28, 2025; Accepted: August 21, 2025; Published: September 6, 2025  Show citation

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Hochmuth A, Dockweiler C. Nurse Navigator Program in maternity clinics as a quality component of family support services. Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery. 2025;16(3):2271-2284. doi: 10.15452/cejnm.2025.16.0022.
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