CPE SCRIPT:POSTPARTUM
AIDET
1. “Hello my name is ______, im going to be your nurse today.”
a. Sanitize hands
2. Check ID band and verify patient info
a. “Can you verify your name and DOB? Thank you Mrs. Patel, I am here to perform a postpartum
assessment on you, is right now a good time? Yes, okay great!”
i. “Throughout my assessment I will have to expose and palpate your chest, abdomen and perineal
area. Is that okay? Yes, okay great!
1. I’m going to start by assessing your breasts”
Breast Assessment
1. Assess and palpate for engorgement, breast changes and skin breakdown
a. “Breasts are soft and filling, there is no redness, cracking, or bruising”
i. “If you experience any cracking or dryness to your nipples, you can use lanolin cream”
2. Ensure the client is wearing a bra
a. “Make sure you wear a Supportive bra, 23hrs per day”
3. Breastfeeding
a. “Do you plan on breastfeeding?”
i. “Yes, okay while breastfeeding you should eat an additional 400-500 calories per day as well as
8-8oz. Glasses of water”
4. Mastitis education
a. “Make sure to report any localized redness or pain in your breast to your provider”
Abdominal Assessment
1. COACH URINE/ BM
a. “When was the last time you urinated and had a bowel movement? This morning, great!”
i. “URINE IS YELLOW, ODORLESS, AMOUNT IS ___, CLEAR- no particulates”
ii. “1 Bowel movement and it was BROWN, ODORLESS, SOFT and SMALL AMT.
b. “Report any burning, frequency, or urgency with urination as these can be symptoms of a UTI”
2. Lay the patient flat!
3. “Now I'm going to assess your abdomen area”
a. Assess the abdomen using inspection, auscultation, and palpation
i. “Abdomen is round, symmetrical, and non-distended.”
ii. “Bowel sounds are hypoactive in all 4 quadrants.”
iii. “Abdomen is non-tender”
iv. “I'm going to palpate your bladder”
1. “Bladder is non-distented, and non-tender”
b. Palpate the fundus for tone, position, and location
i. “ Fundus is firm, midline and 2 fingers below umbillicus”
c. Inspect the suture line (if present) for REEDA (redness, edema, ecchymosis, drainage, and approximation)
i. “Incision is well approximated, no redness, edema, ecchymosis, or drainage.
ii. “REPORT any redness, pain or discharge at incision site, for pain you can also alternate tylenol
and ibuprofen”
Perineal Assessment
1. “Im going to assess your perineal area, can you please open your legs”
2. Assess the lochia for color, amount, odor, and clots
a. “Moderate amount of lochia rubra, no odor and no clots present. It should go from rubra to serosa to
alba and it should never go backwards, if it does report to Doctor or if amount changes”
3. Inspect the perineum for edema and hematoma
a. “No edema or hematoma present”
b. “Make sure to change your pad every time you use the restroom, use your peri bottle and always wipe
front to back to avoid UTIs”
Extremity Assessment
1. “I'm going to assess your extremities, do you have any pain? No okay no pain present, no redness,
edema or hot to the touch”
2. Palpate BILATERALLY popliteal and dorsalis pedis pulses for presence, strength, and equality
a. “Pulses are strong and equal bilaterally”
3. Assess for clonus and Homan’s sign
a. “Im going to assess for CLONUS and HOMANS, both NEGATIVE”
Epidural Assessment
1. Turn the patient on their side
2. Inspect site for signs and symptoms of infection, bruising or leakage of fluid
a. No redness, edema, ecchymosis, or drainage, No leakage or fluid, No signs of infection”
3. Inspect episiotomy suture line (if present) for redness, edema, ecchymosis, drainage, and approximation
AIDET
1. “Hello my name is ______, im going to be your nurse today.”
a. Sanitize hands
2. Check ID band and verify patient info
a. “Can you verify your name and DOB? Thank you Mrs. Patel, I am here to perform a postpartum
assessment on you, is right now a good time? Yes, okay great!”
i. “Throughout my assessment I will have to expose and palpate your chest, abdomen and perineal
area. Is that okay? Yes, okay great!
1. I’m going to start by assessing your breasts”
Breast Assessment
1. Assess and palpate for engorgement, breast changes and skin breakdown
a. “Breasts are soft and filling, there is no redness, cracking, or bruising”
i. “If you experience any cracking or dryness to your nipples, you can use lanolin cream”
2. Ensure the client is wearing a bra
a. “Make sure you wear a Supportive bra, 23hrs per day”
3. Breastfeeding
a. “Do you plan on breastfeeding?”
i. “Yes, okay while breastfeeding you should eat an additional 400-500 calories per day as well as
8-8oz. Glasses of water”
4. Mastitis education
a. “Make sure to report any localized redness or pain in your breast to your provider”
Abdominal Assessment
1. COACH URINE/ BM
a. “When was the last time you urinated and had a bowel movement? This morning, great!”
i. “URINE IS YELLOW, ODORLESS, AMOUNT IS ___, CLEAR- no particulates”
ii. “1 Bowel movement and it was BROWN, ODORLESS, SOFT and SMALL AMT.
b. “Report any burning, frequency, or urgency with urination as these can be symptoms of a UTI”
2. Lay the patient flat!
3. “Now I'm going to assess your abdomen area”
a. Assess the abdomen using inspection, auscultation, and palpation
i. “Abdomen is round, symmetrical, and non-distended.”
ii. “Bowel sounds are hypoactive in all 4 quadrants.”
iii. “Abdomen is non-tender”
iv. “I'm going to palpate your bladder”
1. “Bladder is non-distented, and non-tender”
b. Palpate the fundus for tone, position, and location
i. “ Fundus is firm, midline and 2 fingers below umbillicus”
c. Inspect the suture line (if present) for REEDA (redness, edema, ecchymosis, drainage, and approximation)
i. “Incision is well approximated, no redness, edema, ecchymosis, or drainage.
ii. “REPORT any redness, pain or discharge at incision site, for pain you can also alternate tylenol
and ibuprofen”
Perineal Assessment
1. “Im going to assess your perineal area, can you please open your legs”
2. Assess the lochia for color, amount, odor, and clots
a. “Moderate amount of lochia rubra, no odor and no clots present. It should go from rubra to serosa to
alba and it should never go backwards, if it does report to Doctor or if amount changes”
3. Inspect the perineum for edema and hematoma
a. “No edema or hematoma present”
b. “Make sure to change your pad every time you use the restroom, use your peri bottle and always wipe
front to back to avoid UTIs”
Extremity Assessment
1. “I'm going to assess your extremities, do you have any pain? No okay no pain present, no redness,
edema or hot to the touch”
2. Palpate BILATERALLY popliteal and dorsalis pedis pulses for presence, strength, and equality
a. “Pulses are strong and equal bilaterally”
3. Assess for clonus and Homan’s sign
a. “Im going to assess for CLONUS and HOMANS, both NEGATIVE”
Epidural Assessment
1. Turn the patient on their side
2. Inspect site for signs and symptoms of infection, bruising or leakage of fluid
a. No redness, edema, ecchymosis, or drainage, No leakage or fluid, No signs of infection”
3. Inspect episiotomy suture line (if present) for redness, edema, ecchymosis, drainage, and approximation
