Contemporary Nurse-Midwifery Care in Colorado: A Survey of Certified Nurse-Midwife Practices in Hospital and Community Settings.

Lack of access to birth facilities and maternity care providers has contributed to rising US maternal mortality and morbidity rates, especially among women in rural areas. Evidence supports the increased use of midwives as a potential solution for access-to-care issues. This observational survey was conducted to identify the practice environment for Certified Nurse-Midwives® in Colorado for the purpose of informing future workforce expansion.

Graduate nursing student stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted graduate nursing students at work, home, and school. Stress can influence the ability to focus, study, and may delay continuation in graduate school.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the stressors of graduate nursing students during the pandemic.

Nitrous Oxide Use During Labor: Satisfaction, Adverse Effects, and Predictors of Conversion to Neuraxial Analgesia.

Introduction: Women desire safe and effective choices for pain management during labor. Currently, neuraxial and opioid analgesia are the most common methods used in the United States. The purpose of this study was to investigate demographic characteristics, safety, and satisfaction in a cohort of parturients who used inhaled nitrous oxide (N O) analgesia and to determine predictors of conversion from N O to neuraxial analgesia.

A Comparative Workforce Study of Midwives Practicing in the State of Texas.

Introduction: Access to quality care is a problem in Texas, an ethnically diverse state with large birth numbers. The state has over 300 areas designated as medically underserved, and a severe lack of obstetricians and midwives. Minimal data exist on midwifery's contribution, and no known study compares the work environment and clinical practice of the 2 state-recognized midwifery paths, licensed midwives (LMs) and certified nurse-midwives (CNMs).

Maternal obesity: improving pregnancy outcomes.

Approximately 30% of pregnant women are obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30) and are at risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this article, we review the literature on select obstetrical risks associated with maternal obesity and assess the recommended prevention and management strategies. The selected risks include infertility, fetal anomalies, gestational hypertensive diseases, gestational diabetes, intrauterine fetal death, cesarean birth, macrosomia, and long-term risks of adult disease for the fetus.