A Multimethod Improvement Project to Strengthen Intermittent Auscultation Practice Among Nurse-Midwives and Nurses.

Introduction: Intermittent auscultation (IA) is an accepted standard of care for intrapartum fetal assessment for low-risk individuals and is the exclusive method used to monitor fetal status in birth centers. However, there are conflicting national guidelines for practice and skill training. As a result, IA technique and skills vary across the perinatal care workforce, with many health care providers receiving no or minimal formal training.

A Collaborative Model of a Community Birth Center and a Tertiary Care Medical Center.

Objective: To describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a collaborative model between a freestanding birth center and a tertiary care medical center.

Methods: An interdisciplinary team developed a freestanding accredited birth center in collaboration with a tertiary care medical center in the southeast United States. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all women obtaining care at the birth center and assessed the rate (and 95% CIs) of cesarean delivery, patient transfers, and adverse maternal and neonatal events.

Labor Dystocia: A Common Approach to Diagnosis.

Contemporary labor and birth population norms should be the basis for evaluating labor progression and determining slow progress that may benefit from intervention. The aim of this article is to present guidelines for a common, evidence-based approach for determination of active labor onset and diagnosis of labor dystocia based on a synthesis of existing professional guidelines and relevant contemporary publications. A 3-point approach for diagnosing active labor onset and classifying labor dystocia-related labor aberrations into well-defined, mutually exclusive categories that can be used clinically and validated by researchers is proposed.

Labor Dystocia: Uses of Related Nomenclature.

Introduction: Labor dystocia (slow or difficult labor or birth) is the most commonly diagnosed aberration of labor and the most frequently documented indication for primary cesarean birth. Yet, dystocia remains a poorly specified diagnostic category, with determinations often varying widely among clinicians. The primary aims of this review are to 1) summarize definitions of active labor and dystocia, as put forth by leading professional obstetric and midwifery organizations in world regions wherein English is the majority language and 2) describe the use of dystocia and related terms in contemporary research studies.

Interprofessional simulation of a retained placenta and postpartum hemorrhage.

To improve quality and safety in healthcare, national and international organizations have called for students to receive dedicated training in interprofessional communication and collaboration. We developed a simulation for nurse-midwifery and nurse-anesthesia students, using the Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice framework. The simulation, involving a postpartum women with a retained placenta and acute blood loss, allowed students to collaboratively manage a high-risk situation.

Simulation: a new approach to teaching ethics.

The importance of ethical conduct in health care was acknowledged as early as the fifth century in the Hippocratic Oath and continues to be an essential element of clinical practice. Providers face ethical dilemmas that are complex and unfold over time, testing both practitioners' knowledge and communication skills. Students learning to be health care providers need to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to negotiate complex situations involving ethical conflict.

Web 2.0: easy tools for busy clinicians.

Internet content has become interactive; new tools can help clinicians market their practice and provide evidence-based care. Many of these tools are free or low cost and are easily mastered using simple video tutorials found on the Internet. This article highlights the uses of e-mail, social networking, smartphones, RSS feeds, social bookmarking, and collaborative Web 2.