This study examined the time spent by advanced practice nurses (APNs) in providing prenatal care to women with high risk pregnancies. The results indicate that the overall mean APN time spent in providing prenatal care was 51.3 hours per woman. The greatest amount of time was spent in the clinic and women with pregestational diabetes consumed the most APN time and required the most contacts. Historically, home care services have been measured by number of visits or contacts. This study assists home care nurses and administrators to consider additional measurements including time spent.National strategies to control healthcare costs have resulted in decreased use of hospitalization and increased use of home care services for many high risk patient groups. Women at high risk of delivering low birthweight (LBW) infants represent such a group. LBW infants have high mortality and morbidity rates and healthcare costs among the highest of any patient group, stressing families financially and functionally (Guyer, Martin, Anderson & Strobino, 1997). Preventing birth of LBW infants is a national healthcare priority (Centers for Disease Control, 1990).Understanding of the basic causes of LBW (preterm labor and intrauterine growth retardation) remains limited (Mittendorf, Williams, Hibbard, Moawad, & Lee, 1994). However, a number of associated factors are known.These include:• previous preterm birth;• genital infection;• abruptio placenta;• placenta previa; and• preeclampsia and multiple pregnancy.Through careful monitoring and early treatment of problems, gestation can be prolonged in women at high risk of preterm delivery.Nurse home visiting has been identified as one strategy to conduct such monitoring and maintain women with high risk pregnancies at home. Nurse home visiting is currently being conducted by a variety of providers including visiting nurse associations, independent home care agencies, and hospital based home care agencies.However, there are wide variations in home care services including the number, type, and length of the services. Although most home care services include home visits and telephone contacts, the number of home visits and telephone contacts patients receive are most often dictated by reimbursement plans, rather than provider judgment and patient need.Currently, there are limited reported data on nurse time required by various patient groups in need of discharge planning and home care services. Nurse time includes:• inhospital time spent in discharge planning;• total hours spent in the home;• the number of contacts (home visits and telephone calls); andIn a recent study (Brooten, Knapp, Borucki, Jacobsen, Finkler, Arnold, & Mennuti, 1996) the mean advanced practice nurse (APN) inhospital time spent in discharge planning with women who delivered via an unplanned cesarean was 121 minutes. This was almost identical to the 124 minute mean reported by Naylor (1990) in a study of comprehensive discharge planning of elderly patients conducted by APNs. In work reporting on APN follow-up of l...