Developing a hand-held Pap test card to improve cervical cancer screening.

We identified an educational deficit among clients at a community health clinic regarding the latest cervical cancer screening recommendations. A literature search on Pap testing and problems with compliance or screening indicated multiple barriers to cervical cancer screening. Education, health promotion and the use of a hand-held health card/record were identified as methods to educate women regarding cervical cancer prevention.

Oral health and oral health care practices among low-income pregnant women.

Introduction: Access to dental care is a problem in California as in many parts of the United States. Many women, including half of those having dental problems, do not see a dentist during pregnancy. The objective of this study was to describe the oral health status and oral health practices of low-income pregnant women in San Diego, California, and to determine the needs for oral health care education in this population.

Paternal fears of childbirth: a literature review.

To date, most studies on paternal childbirth fears have been exploratory or descriptive, conducted outside of the United States, and focused mainly on White, first-time fathers. Identified fears include harm to the mother or newborn, partner pain, feelings of helplessness, lack of knowledge, and fear of high-risk intervention. Fathers often report that childbirth classes are not helpful and, in some cases, even increase their fears.

Patient satisfaction with retail health clinic care.

Purpose: To analyze patient satisfaction with care provided at two retail clinics by family nurse practitioners (FNPs) and physician assistants (PAs). To analyze patient characteristics and preferences of those patients seeking care at two retail clinics.

Data Sources: Anonymous, voluntary, self-report surveys completed by patient, or parents of minor patients, in one of two medical retail clinics located in grocery stores in Arizona between May 2006 and July 2007.

A descriptive study of "being with woman" during labor and birth.

The objective of this study was to learn more about women's perceptions of the nurse-midwifery practice of "being with woman" during childbirth. The descriptive, correlational design used a convenience sample of 238 low-risk postpartum women in a hospital nurse-midwifery practice, with two childbirth settings: a standard labor and delivery unit and an in-hospital birth center. The main outcome measure was a 29-item seven-response Likert scale questionnaire, the Positive Presence Index (PPI), administered to women cared for during labor and birth by nurse-midwives to measure the concept of being with woman.

A selective review of maternal sleep characteristics in the postpartum period.

Objective: To determine the current knowledge of postpartum women's sleep patterns, sleep disturbances, consequences of sleep disturbances, and known strategies for prevention in order to provide best practice recommendations for health care providers.

Data Sources: A literature search from 1969 through February 2008 was conducted using the CINHL, Index of Allied Health Literature, Ovid, PsycINFO, and PubMed electronic databases in addition to reference lists from selected articles and other key references. Search terms included sleep, postpartum, sleep deprivation, and sleep disturbance.

The relationship between sleep characteristics and fatigue in healthy postpartum women.

Background: Postpartum sleep is a difficult and complicated concept to measure owing to the intrusive nature of research at a sensitive and private time for new families. Nurses often find themselves advising mothers on ways to improve sleep and reduce fatigue based on teachings that are not evidence based. The purpose of this secondary analysis of a larger study of postpartum fatigue patterns was to examine the relationship between sleep characteristics and postpartum fatigue during the first 6 weeks after delivery.

A hermeneutic phenomenological analysis of midwives' ways of knowing during childbirth.

Objective: to explore the ways of knowing used by the midwife while attending women during childbirth through textual analysis of poems written by American midwives.

Design: a hermeneutic phenomenology and human science research method inspired by van Manen was used. Midwifery ways of knowing during childbirth were thematically derived from 10 poems written by midwives about attending childbirth or the experience of being a midwife.

Storytelling as an educational strategy for midwifery students.

This article describes the use of purposive storytelling as a creative teaching strategy in the nurse-midwifery education program at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego. Student evaluations over a 4-year period showed overwhelming support for the inclusion of storytelling into a weekly didactic midwifery course. Benefits, such as increased cognitive learning, enhanced role transition, and emotional clarification were identified in the students' comments.

Women give birth and pizzas are delivered: language and Western childbirth paradigms.

This article examines two differing health paradigms, their language, and their effect on the culture of Western childbirth practices. Specifically, the differences in perspectives and language between the dominant paradigm/culture (the biomedical model of curing) and the alternative paradigm/culture (a holistic model of caring) are explored. Examples of language from the medical, midwifery, and nursing literature that affect childbirth culture and the care of childbearing women and their families are examined.

Lesbian experiences and needs during childbirth: guidance for health care providers.

Objective: To provide an overview of the literature regarding lesbian experiences of childbirth and to offer health care providers guidance in supporting the childbearing lesbian couple.

Data Sources: A search of the literature from 1980 through 2004 was conducted using PsycINFO, Ovid, PubMed, Ebscohost, and Cinahl, and the key words, lesbian, childbirth, parenting health care providers, pregnancy, artificial insemination, parental rights.

Data Extraction: A critical review of all articles from relevant journals was included with attention to the needs of lesbian women concerning childbirth and implications for health care provider care.

Being with woman: A guiding concept for the care of laboring women.

Objective: To review the literature concerning the midwifery concept of being with woman and the related nursing concepts of presence and social support during childbirth.

Data Sources: Literature in the English language from 1985 through 2000, using MEDLINE and CINAHL.

Data Extraction: Discussion of articles from relevant journals and textbooks were included.

Poetry as an aesthetic expression for nursing: a review.

Objective: To provide the reader with a basic understanding of the elements of poetry and to review poetry's contribution to nursing. The review will examine the poetry written by nurses, poetry's effect on the profession, and its use in education, patient care, and research.

Data Sources: Classic and current sources of poetry, which enhance the understanding of poetry and how poetry has changed over time are reviewed.