Graduation Year
2020
Document Type
Senior Thesis
Degree
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Primary Major
Nursing
Thesis Advisor
Patricia Harris, PhD, RN, CNS
Abstract
Background: While prenatal care is an essential preventive service, access is not equal. Undocumented immigrants in the United States face many barriers that prevent them from accessing primary health care needs, including adequate prenatal care. Throughout the United States, standard Medicaid provides coverage for all pregnancy-related care, encompassing the antenatal period, childbirth, and postpartum. However, undocumented women do not qualify to receive these services. Many studies showed that lack of prenatal care for undocumented pregnant women jeopardizes their health and their neonates’ health by increasing their risk of complications related to pregnancy and birth. Objective: To bring awareness of the barriers affecting undocumented women to obtained prenatal care and the need for health care professionals advocacy. Literature Review: Seven articles were review to discuss the barriers and possible benefits of prenatal care for undocumented women in the United States. Research Proposal: An exploratory quantitative study using a survey to gather information from nurses working in NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield, California. The purpose of the survey will be to evaluate the nurse's knowledge of the barriers that pregnant undocumented women face in the United States to access prenatal care. Keywords: Undocumented women, barriers to healthcare, and prenatal care.
Included in
Immigration Law Commons, Law and Race Commons, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons