Obstetric Sepsis: Focus on the 3-Hour Bundle.

Early recognition and treatment of sepsis are key to decreasing maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Timing is critical, and early intervention is associated with improved outcomes. The perinatal provider is in a unique position to identify risk factors, perform assessments, and implement the first 3 hours of the sepsis bundle.

Nursing department orientation: are we missing the mark?

Hospitals routinely provide orientation for the new nurses they hire. The evolution of nursing practice is not reflected in the current teaching methods of nursing orientation. The authors examine the past 60 years of nursing department orientation and assert the need to move toward more effective and innovative teaching strategies.

Simulation-based training: the future of competency?

Traditionally, continuing education has focused on cognitive skills and technical skills, namely, what the provider needs to know and what the provider needs to be able to do. Successful completion of such education programs has conferred some degree of competence on the learner. For the most part, continuing education has been performed in silos with each healthcare provider discipline developing a program designed to meet the needs of their group.

Debriefing in simulated-based learning: facilitating a reflective discussion.

The topic of debriefing has received little attention in the simulation literature. In simulation, knowing how to debrief the learner's experiences is as essential as creating scenarios and selecting the correct manikin. The purpose of this article will be to discuss debriefing as it relates to simulation-based learning.

Making the move: from traditional neonatal education to simulation-based training.

Resuscitating neonates is a critical skill set for obstetric and neonatal care providers. The principles, knowledge, and skills of neonatal resuscitation as developed by the Neonatal Resuscitation Program are taught in a variety of ways to enhance learning including didactic, CD-ROM, hands-on-task training, and mock codes. Despite this variety of educational methods, studies have called into question the ability of the care provider to adequately perform neonatal resuscitation.

Cardiac disease in pregnancy.

Cardiac disease complicates approximately 1% to 3% of pregnancies and is responsible for 10% to 15% of maternal mortality. The number of women of childbearing age with congenital disease is increasing as advances in diagnosis and treatment improve survival rates and overall health, allowing successful pregnancy. Pregnant women with severe cardiac disease or women who experience a cardiac event during pregnancy will require admission and stabilization in an adult critical care unit.