SUPPORTING Patients' Birth Plans: Theories, Strategies & Implications for Nurses

Pregnant women often create birth plans to specify their preferences for their labor and delivery. When nurses implement and advocate for women's birth plans, it increases women's autonomy and decision-making in the birth process and can lead to greater patient satisfaction. This article describes strategies for how nurses can help implement patients' birth plans, and discusses two psychological theories as a base for understanding nurses' roles in advocating for birth plans to improve patients' experiences.