Hypertension: Understanding early warning signs & when to seek care

Join us for an in-person training about high blood pressure, and what your body might be trying to tell you. Learn to spot the early warning signs and find out exactly when to get help. The goal of this training is safety & action with an emphasis on recognizing urgency, making decisions, and advocating for care without requiring clinical expertise. You're an important part of your health care team and it's all about taking care of yourself and feeling confident as a primary partner in your health and wellbeing. This session will be facilitated by Certified Nurse Midwife, Diane Banigo, author of All About God’s Love, owner of Ignited Faces of Beauty, and co-founder of Igniting Power of Woman, where she serves as a social architect and perinatal consultant. She is a full-time midwifery faculty member at Bethel University and maintains a part-time clinical practice in birth center and clinic settings.

Who should participate/Audience:

This training is for community learners. Community members may be the first to notice symptoms and may need to act quickly to protect themselves or loved ones. We welcome ANYONE interested in learning more about high blood pressure also known as hypertension or preeclampsia/postpartum preeclampsia (during/after pregnancy).

Objectives:

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Describe what blood pressure is and recognize early warning signs of high blood pressure and preeclampsia during pregnancy or after birth (Remember / Understand)
• Identify normal versus concerning blood pressure readings and state why monitoring matters in pregnancy (Understand)
• Demonstrate appropriate next steps when warning signs are present, including deciding when to call a provider, seek urgent care, or call 911 (Apply)
• Differentiate between situations that can be monitored at home and situations that require immediate medical attention (Analyze)
• Advocate for themselves or a loved one by communicating concerns clearly and requesting escalation of care when needed (Evaluate)
• Identify community and state resources that support blood pressure awareness, monitoring, and emergency response (Apply)

Presenter: Dr. Diane Banigo - Dr. Diane Banigo began her academic journey as a pre-med student at the University of Minnesota Duluth before earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the College of St. Scholastica in 2001. Called to midwifery, she has practiced as a Certified Nurse-Midwife since 2003 and earned her CNM certification in 2005 after completing her master’s degree at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities. In 2019, she completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice at St. Catherine University, motivated by a desire to inspire meaningful, sustainable change.

In addition to teaching and clinical care, Diane is deeply committed to supporting women beyond childbirth. She partners with families and organizations to nurture vision, purpose, and ministry, guided by divine wisdom in all she does. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling, laughing with friends, watching movies, spending time with her husband, and learning new dance moves from her two sons.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Sharron Berkley & Thomas Chatman