The Nursing Perspective: Emerging Competencies in Midwifery and Neonatal Care

Year : 2023 | Volume :01 | Issue : 01 | Page : 21-26
By

Uvarani B.

  1. Professor MNR College of Nursing Sangareddy India

Abstract

A skilled attendant is a qualified healthcare practitioner, such as a midwife, doctor, or nurse, who has received appropriate education and training to effectively handle uncomplicated pregnancies, childbirth, and the immediate postnatal period. They are equipped to identify, manage, and refer any complications that may arise in women and newborns. Skilled attendants have the necessary knowledge and skills to manage normal pregnancies and childbirth, and their presence during delivery is crucial in reducing maternal mortality rates. The provision of maternity care by qualified professionals is associated with a decrease in maternal mortality rates. It is widely recognized that ensuring all pregnant women receive medical attention during delivery is one of the most important steps in lowering the risk of maternal mortality. Skilled care refers to the comprehensive healthcare services provided by qualified healthcare providers throughout pregnancy, delivery, and the immediate postpartum period. This includes having the necessary equipment and being supported by a well-functioning healthcare system that includes emergency obstetric care, transportation, and referral facilities. The role of skilled attendants in reducing the risk of pregnancy-related complications and improving overall maternal safety has been acknowledged by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Confederation of Midwives, and the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FIGO). These organizations have agreed to use the term “skilled attendant” to refer to healthcare workers who can offer skilled care. A qualified birth attendant, according to the international definition of a midwife, is a midwife who has completed the required education and obtained the necessary permissions to practice. Midwives play a crucial role in ensuring the highest standards of education, regulation, and supervision in their practice, aiming to provide the best possible care for women and protect vulnerable populations. They use various sources of information, intuition, critical thinking, and clinical judgment in their decision-making process. Midwifery is a dynamic and methodical process that adapts to each woman’s changing health status and predicts potential issues. Midwives also emphasize the involvement of women and their families in the decision-making process, including developing a plan of care for a healthy pregnancy, safe delivery, and adjusting to the new family dynamic.

Keywords: Midwifery, competencies, safe, attitudes, communication

[This article belongs to International Journal of Women’s Health Nursing And Practices(ijwhnp)]

How to cite this article: Uvarani B.. The Nursing Perspective: Emerging Competencies in Midwifery and Neonatal Care. International Journal of Women’s Health Nursing And Practices. 2023; 01(01):21-26.
How to cite this URL: Uvarani B.. The Nursing Perspective: Emerging Competencies in Midwifery and Neonatal Care. International Journal of Women’s Health Nursing And Practices. 2023; 01(01):21-26. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/ijwhnp/article=2023/view=112748


References

  1. Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. (2022). World Population Prospects—Population Division—United Nations. [online] Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/
  2. WHO, World Bank, UNFPA, UNICEF. Trends in Maternal Mortality:1990 to 2013. Estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, The World Bank and the United Nations Population Division. Geneva: World Health Organization; 201
  3. Cousens S, Blencowe H, Stanton C, Chou D, Ahmed S, Steinhardt L, et al. National, regional, and worldwide estimates of stillbirth rates in 2009 with trends since 1995: a systematic analysis. Lancet. 2011;377(9774):1319–30. DOI: 10.1016/S0140–6736(10)62310–0.
  4. UNICEF, WHO, World B, UN. (2013). Population division. Levels and trends in child mortality. [online]. Available from: http://www.childinfo.org/files/Child_Mortality_Report_2013.pdf
  5. The World Health Report. 2005: make every mother and child count. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2005.
  6. Souza JP, Gülmezoglu AM, Vogel J, Carroli G, Lumbiganon P, Qureshi Z, et al. Moving beyond essential interventions for reduction of maternal mortality (the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health): a cross-sectional study. Lancet. 2013;381(9879):1747–55.
    DOI: 10.1016/S0140–6736(13)60686–8.
  7. Graham WJ, Varghese B. Quality, quality, quality: gaps in the continuum of care. Lancet. 2012;379(9811):e5–6. DOI: 10.1016/S0140–6736(10)62267–2.
  8. Koblinsky M, Chowdhury ME, Moran A, Ronsmans C. Maternal morbidity and disability and their consequences: neglected agenda in maternal health. J Health Popul Nutr. 2012;30(2):124–30.
    DOI: 10.3329/jhpn.v30i2.11294.
  9. Storeng KT, Baggaley RF, Ganaba R, Ouattara F, Akoum MS, Filippi V. Paying the price: the cost and consequences of emergency obstetric care in Burkina Faso. Soc Sci Med. 2008;66(3):545–57. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.10.001.
  10. Singh S, Darroch J, Ashford L, Vlassoff M. Adding it up: the costs and benefits of investing in family planning and maternal and newborn health. New York: Guttmacher Institute; 2009.
  11. Marmot M, Allen J, Bell R, Bloomer E, Goldblatt P, Consortium for the European Review of Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide. WHO European Review of Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide. Lancet. 2012;380(9846):1011–29. DOI: 10.1016/S0140–6736(12)61228–8.
  12. Save the Children. State of the World’s Mothers 2013. London: Save the Children International; 2013.
  13. Perkins BB. The Medical Delivery Business: Health Reform, Childbirth, and the Economic Order. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press; 2003.
  14. Villar J, Valladares E, Wojdyla D, et al. Caesarean delivery rates and pregnancy outcomes: the 2005 WHO global survey on maternal and perinatal health in Latin America. Lancet. 2006;367:1819–29. DOI: 10.1016/S0140–6736(06)68704–7.
  15. Johanson R, Newburn M, Macfarlane A. Has the medicalisation of childbirth gone too far? BMJ. 2002;324(7342):892–95. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.324.7342.892.
  16. Mason F, Rawe K, Wright S. Superfood for Babies: How Overcoming Barriers to Breastfeeding will Save Children’s Lives. London: Save the Children; 2013.
  17. Requejo J, Bryce J, Victora C. Countdown to 2015 maternal, newborn and child survival: building a future for women and children: the 2012 report. Geneva: World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund; 2012.
  18. Adam T, Lim SS, Mehta S, Bhutta ZA, Fogstad H, Mathai M, et al. Cost effectiveness analysis of strategies for maternal and neonatal health in developing countries. BMJ. 2005;331(7525):1107. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.331.7525.1107.
  19. Gibbons L, Belizan JM, Lauer JA, Betran AP, Merialdi M, Althabe F. Inequities in the use of cesarean section deliveries in the world. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2012;206(4):331.e1–19.
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2012.02.026.
  20. World Health Report 2013: Research for Universal Health Coverage. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013.
  21. Secretary General UN. Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016–2030). Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018.
  22. UNICEF, WHO. Every Newborn: an Action Plan to End Preventable Deaths. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2014.
  23. The State of the World’s Midwifery 2011: Delivering Health, Saving Lives. New York: United Nations Population Fund; 2011.
  24. Australian Health Ministers’ Conference. National Maternity Services Plan. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2011.

Regular Issue Subscription Review Article
Volume 01
Issue 01
Received March 3, 2023
Accepted May 25, 2023
Published July 18, 2023