<p>This study was to determine if any difference exists in the rates of cesarean birth, emergency room visits and preterm birth in African-American women who participated in CenteringPregnancy^&reg; group prenatal care in comparison with those in traditional prenatal care. Prenatal care under this model emphasizes risk assessment, health promotion, social support and education in a group setting of between eight and twelve patients. The effectiveness of CenteringPregnancy has had favorable clinical and behavioral outcomes, as well as high patient and provider satisfaction. Since few studies have researched outcome variables, this study was to answer if CenteringPregnancy prenatal care is related to improved birth outcomes than traditional prenatal care. Leininger&rsquo;s Transcultural Nursing Theory guided this study to provide a comprehensive and culturally sensitive nursing approach in caring for pregnant African-American women. The population was a convenience sample of African-American women between the ages of 15 and 38 years of age. A retrospective chart review was utilized for data collection and a total of 61 CenteringPregnancy charts and 62 traditional prenatal care charts were reviewed looking at the rates of preterm births, cesarean births and emergency room utilization between the two groups of women. A bivariate statistical analysis using the <i> t</i>-Test was utilized to describe any differences between the patients in the two different types of prenatal care and a chi-square was used to analyze any difference in frequency of preterm births and cesarean births between the two types of prenatal care. The results indicated that African-American women receiving CenteringPregnancy prenatal care had fewer preterm births than African-American women in traditional prenatal care (1.6% vs 11.3%). However, there was no evidence found that African-American women receiving CenteringPregnancy prenatal care had less cesarean births or utilized the emergency room during their pregnancies less frequently. </p>

<p> Recent changes in the ethnic composition of the population of the United States pose great challenges for healthcare institutions and healthcare providers. In recent years, policy statements on nursing education indicated that nursing educators recognized the need to increase the cultural caring of the nursing workforce (Swanson, 2012). Salimbene (2014) discussed the importance of considering clients&rsquo; culture as an integral part of assessing their healthcare needs and planning culturally appropriate nursing care to meet those needs. Currently, there is a paucity of information regarding patients&rsquo; perceptions of culturally competent care. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify culturally sensitive caring behaviors of professional nurses from the perspective of Hispanic American maternity patients two to four weeks post-discharge in a WIC program in rural Georgia. Utilization of a phenomenological research design included interviews with 15 Hispanic American women. Data analysis was conducted using phenomenological analysis methods with the aid of the software program Nvivo 11. Themes that were identified were: Better Future, Better Medical Care, Treatment of Patients, Customs and Practices, and Meaning of Care. This information may aid in creating a culturally competent maternity care curriculum.</p>