Nursing for Women's Health

A nurse recounts how she and her patient both made similar mistakes as adolescents, but only one of them was dealt life-altering consequences.

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

This guide has been prepared by the AWHONN Task Force to revise the AWHONN Education Guide, Basic, High-Risk, and Critical Care Intrapartum Nursing: Clinical Competencies and Education Guide. Education guides are reviewed periodically. This guide is not intended to be exhaustive; other sources of information and guidance are available and should be consulted. This guide is intended to encourage systematic education and ongoing skill development in basic, high-risk, and critical care obstetrics during the intrapartum period, immediate postpartum period, and newborn transition...

Hyperemesis gravidarum is the most common condition requiring hospital care for women during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and may lead to malnutrition, dehydration, and vitamin deficiencies. Depletion of vitamins such as thiamine may result in the development of Wernicke encephalopathy, a severe neurological disorder that can increase the risk for mortality and morbidity for the mother and fetus. A lack of awareness regarding the relationship of hyperemesis gravidarum and Wernicke encephalopathy may result in delayed treatment and disease management...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge and perceptions of midwifery students regarding a midwifery-led model of care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: A nursing college in North Karnataka, India. The midwifery-led care model is a relatively new concept in India. In 2018, guidelines on midwifery services in India were released during the Partners Forum held in New Delhi as the initiation of the model and with the support of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the experience of drug withdrawal among pregnant women in jail. DESIGN: A qualitative interpretive descriptive approach. SETTING/PROBLEM: The care of incarcerated pregnant women constitutes a complex and significant public health problem. Many have substance use disorder (SUD) and cycle in and out of jails in their community, resulting in repeated experiences of drug withdrawal. Most jails do not provide medication-assisted therapy for management of withdrawal, a situation that violates standards of care set by leading health organizations...

OBJECTIVE: To identify and evaluate barriers to and facilitators of screening for postpartum depression (PPD) during well-child visits in the United States. Additionally, to describe prior work on PPD screening tool evaluation and outcomes from PPD screenings conducted within the well-child setting. DATA SOURCES: A systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Five databases (Pub Med, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library) were searched...

OBJECTIVE: To reduce surgical site infections (SSIs) after cesarean birth through a bundled approach. DESIGN: Quality improvement project. SETTING/LOCAL PROBLEM: In a community hospital obstetric unit, an increase in SSIs after cesarean birth was observed. PARTICIPANTS: Nursing leaders, obstetricians, certified nurse-midwives, physician assistants, nurses, scrub technicians, a nursing professional development specialist, and an infection prevention practitioner...

OBJECTIVE: To improve screening for depression in patients who are initiating fertility treatment at a reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) center by screening all patients at their initial visit using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). DESIGN: This quality improvement project was conducted using a plan-do-study-act cycle implemented with a postintervention study design. SETTING/LOCAL PROBLEM: A medium-size REI center in a mid-Atlantic U...

OBJECTIVE: To understand if Mini International Psychiatric Interview (MINI) scores in pregnancy are associated with higher scores on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). DESIGN: Cross-sectional pilot study of participants who completed the EPDS during pregnancy and were then invited to complete the MINI. SETTING/LOCAL PROBLEM: An urban outpatient clinic at an academic medical setting from November 2020 to June 2021. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 20 pregnant people...

Nursing burnout, a result of prolonged occupational stress, has always been a challenge in health care, but recently the COVID-19 pandemic made this issue into a national priority. In fact, burnout among health care workers is one of the four priorities of the U.S. Surgeon General. Health care leaders and organizations are eager to implement strategies to improve nurses' well-being and, thus, enhance their mental health. Much of the literature has focused on the antecedents and consequences of nursing burnout, but there is limited information on strategies that protect perinatal nurses from burnout...

OBJECTIVE: To explore health care providers' perspectives on the successes, challenges, and suggestions for future directions regarding the implementation of CenteringPregnancy for Marshallese women in Arkansas. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative design was used as an exploratory method. SETTING/LOCAL PROBLEM: This study took place in northwest Arkansas. Arkansas is home to the largest Marshallese Pacific Islander population in the United States...

Editors, reviewers, and readers of practice journals must recognize that diverse publishing practices contribute to a more inclusive nursing community and give voice to various perspectives.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the experiences of female patients with breast cancer and their partners in achieving coherence as a couple during the disease journey. DESIGN: Qualitative study. SETTING: Colombia, South America. PARTICIPANTS: Women diagnosed with breast cancer in the last 2 years and their intimate partners with whom they lived during the 6 months before study enrollment. In total, 16 heterosexual couples participated in individual interviews and focus groups...

This short review summarizes two recent U.S.-based studies in which researchers evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on postpartum outcomes. The first study examined the neurodevelopmental status of infants born to women infected with SARS-CoV-2, and the second examined psychological risks to maternal-infant bonding. Results indicated that pandemic-related stressors likely contributed to diminished maternal-infant health outcomes. It is imperative that nurses stay informed on the latest science exploring the impact the pandemic has had on the health and well-being of pregnant persons and infants...

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterized by changes in the vaginal flora caused by an elevated pH, resulting in symptoms of vaginal discharge, odor, and irritation. BV affects all women, including Dominican women who have specific cultural beliefs regarding vaginal health hygiene. Due to the prevalence of this condition and cultural norms that may influence how women respond to the diagnosis of BV, it is important to understand the factors that may promote the development of BV and that may influence women's choices of treatment options...

Intermittent auscultation (IA) is an evidence-based method of fetal surveillance during labor for birthing people with low-risk pregnancies. It is a central component of efforts to reduce the primary cesarean rate and promote vaginal birth (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2019; Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, 2022a). The use of intermittent IA decreased with the introduction of electronic fetal monitoring, while the increased use of electronic fetal monitoring has been associated with an increase of cesarean births...

Just less than half of the pregnancies in the United States are unintended. Unintended pregnancy rates are greatest among women younger than 24 years, women of color, and those who have incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level. Additionally, options to terminate a pregnancy are restricted or limited in some states. In July 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved norgestrel (Opill) as the first over-the-counter oral contraceptive pill available in the United States. Norgestrel is indicated specifically for the prevention of pregnancy, contains only progesterone, and is indicated for daily oral use...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the attitudes of first-time fathers toward their role during their wives' prenatal period. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Tertiary care hospital in South India. PARTICIPANTS: First-time fathers accompanying their pregnant wives to an antenatal clinic. METHODS: Participants were surveyed to collect information on their attitudes toward their role during the prenatal period...