A meta-ethnographic synthesis of midwives' and nurses' experiences of adverse labour and birth events.

INTRODUCTION: Health professionals are frequently exposed to traumatic events due to the nature of their work. While traumatic and adverse labour and birth events experienced by women are well researched, less attention has been given to midwives' and nurses' experiences of these events and the impact it has on their lives. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To undertake a meta-ethnographic study of midwives' and nurses' experiences of adverse labour and birth events. METHODS: Scopus, CINHAL PLUS, MEDLINE and PUBMED databases were searched using subject headings and keywords. The search was limited to papers published in peer-reviewed journals from 2004-October 2016. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Papers had to be qualitative or have a substantial qualitative component. Studies were included if they primarily focused on midwives' or nurses' perspectives or experiences of complicated, traumatic or adverse labour and birth events. ANALYTIC STRATEGY: A meta-ethnographic approach was used incorporating methods of reciprocal translation guided by the work of Noblit and Hare (1988, Meta-Ethnography: Synthesizing qualitative studies (Vol. 11). Newbury Park: Sage publications). FINDINGS: Eleven qualitative studies were included in the final sample. Four major themes were (i) feeling the chaos; (ii) powerless, responsible and a failure; (iii) "It adds another scar to my soul"; and (iv) finding a way to deal with it. CONCLUSION: Midwives and nurses feel relatively unprepared when faced with a real-life labour and birth emergency event. While many of the midwives and nurses were traumatised by the experience, some were able to view their encounter as an opportunity to develop their emergency response skills. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Witnessing and being involved in a complicated or adverse labour and birth event can be traumatic for nurses and midwives. Organisational and collegial support needs to be available to enable these health professionals to talk about their feelings and concerns.

Chorioamnionitis at Term: Definition, Diagnosis, and Implications for Practice.

Chorioamnionitis is a serious complication during labor at term and is associated with adverse neonatal outcome affecting approximately 10% of pregnancies. It is diagnosed clinically or microbiologically or by histopathologic examination of the placenta and umbilical cord. The clinical criteria for chorioamnionitis found in preterm or term women include maternal fever combined with 2 or more findings of maternal tachycardia, fetal tachycardia, leukocytosis, uterine tenderness, and/or malodorous amniotic fluid. These subjective findings are neither sensitive nor specific. However, clinical chorioamnionitis requires a high index of suspicion, timely diagnosis, prompt antibiotic treatment, and delivery, which may help reduce the potentially devastating outcome of maternal and neonatal infections. This article focuses on clinical chorioamnionitis and presents the physiologic immune response during pregnancy, the definition of chorioamnionitis, clinical diagnostic criteria, and implications for practice.

Catheterisation: best practice in bladder care.

Bladder care is an integral part of caring for a woman in labour and the immediate postpartum period (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2014a). To ensure effective bladder care, the skill of urinary catheterisation is often undertaken by a midwife and can be required in a variety of different situations. Catheterisation is a necessary intervention whether it is intermittent, indwelling, short-term or, less often, long-term. This article addresses the current recommended guidance, highlights best practice measures and provides useful hints and tips to support catheter care.

Assessing nursing diagnoses and interventions in labour and high-risk pregnancies. / Avaliando diagnósticos e intervenções de enfermagem no trabalho de parto e na gestação de risco.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of nursing diagnoses and interventions proposed for women in labour and high-risk pregnancies. METHOD: This is a descriptive, retrospective study with documentary analysis of 1000 medical records and a checklist conducted from July to September 2014, at a maternity hospital in Paraiba, Brazil. It consisted of analysing descriptive measures and comparing the relationship between nursing diagnoses and interventions using NANDA - International and the Nursing Interventions Classification. RESULTS: The most common diagnoses in labour were acute pain (62%), fatigue (24.7%), and anxiety (22%). For high-risk pregnant women they were impaired sleep and rest (100%), risk of infection (81.8%), and anxiety (77.2%). The interventions were hand washing (80.8%) and identify and accommodate patient in the bed (78%). CONCLUSION: The diagnoses express needs during parturition and the psychobiological changes in high-risk pregnancy. The interventions are disconnected from the diagnoses and should therefore be reviewed and altered.

Maternal Morbidity and Mortality: Identifying Opportunities to Improve Clinical Outcomes.

A better understanding of why women die during pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum offers valuable insight into strategies aimed at preventing maternal deaths and arresting the progression in the severity of a complication. The rate of severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality in the United States has been trending upward in recent years and has garnered national attention with concentration on bolstering reviews of maternal deaths and implementing patient safety initiatives. The obstetric nurse is in a unique position to improve maternal outcomes through the anticipation, recognition, and communication of the early warning signs of impending deterioration in maternal condition. Presented in the context of the conceptual model of Stephen Covey's Circle of Influence, the professional nurse can proactively influence maternal outcomes directly, with actions defined by the scope of professional nursing practice or indirectly through professional interactions with others. Advancing one's education, knowledge, and technical skills broadens the influential capacity.

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. Early detection and management combined with careful assessment can assist in providing evidence-based care and moving the patient to a higher level of care when warranted.

Hands-on or hands-poised: what does the evidence say?

A majority of women will experience some degree of perineal trauma during vaginal birth. The morbidity of women related to perineal trauma can reveal in perineal pain, urinary or faecal incontinence and dyspareunia. Midwives can adopt many techniques to protect the perineum from injury. However, there are still no clear guidelines regarding the hands-on and hands-poised approaches of perineal management during the second stage of labour. The current evidence remains contradictory, so which technique should midwives adopt?

The place of Kielland's forceps in reducing caesarean section rates.

The rise in births by caesarean section (CS) is a global issue. A skilled obstetrician with a midwife knowledgeable in Kielland's forceps (KF) is often able to achieve a successful rotational vaginal birth when safe. The KF, however, has risks--and outcomes must be audited. In this article we present the results of a literature review and retrospective audit, evaluate maternal and neonatal morbidity associated with KF in our unit and compliance with national standards. Our conclusion is that our unit complies with national standards and offers the woman an alternative to CS when it is safe to do so. Adverse outcomes with KF are not different from other modes of operative birth.

Facilitating normal physiology in the presence of meconium stained liquor.

There is sufficient evidence to support the practice of optimal cord clamping in normal labour and birth. In this paper, the physiology of meconium stained liquor (MSL), meconium aspiration syndrome and the practice of optimal cord clamping in babies born through MSL, is discussed. Guidelines suggest not stimulating babies born through MSL, at birth, to avoid aspiration. However, the obvious stimulation resulting from early clamping and cutting the cord, leaves a baby with no choice but to inhale, but this appears to be overlooked in practice. Midwives in their role as supporters of normal physiology are in a position to question this routine intervention in the absence of any evidence to support it.

Making it happen: a programme of education in Kenya.

The number of mothers and babies from the developing world who die in pregnancy and childbirth remains unacceptably high. However, concerted efforts over the last 20 years to reduce the number of deaths have produced significant results, leading to a steady fall in maternal and neonatal mortality rates since 1990 (Unicef 2014). One initiative that is having an impact is the 'Making it happen' programme funded by the UK government and run by Liverpool's School of Tropical Medicine. A 'skills and drills'-type course covering obstetric and neonatal emergencies is delivered to health professionals across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. This article describes the volunteer experience of a UK midwife helping to facilitate a course in Kenya, which has some of the world's poorest health outcomes.

Perineal protection.

Perineal tearing in childbirth is common and can have a considerable impact on women. There are various hands-on techniques that midwives use routinely to protect the perineum but not all of them are evidence based. Despite this, midwives often feel that they are the determining factor in whether a woman tears or not. Furthermore, women are rarely asked permission before hands-on techniques are used. This article explores some of the techniques used to prevent perineal tears, looks at the evidence base and invites the reader to reflect on their own practice and thinking around perineal protection.

Five ways to learn to love suturing.

Suturing can be a daunting midwifery skill to learn, as it's complex and carries great responsibility. There are lots of excellent texts on suturing available in midwifery literature, but perhaps not much on the emotional side of learning. This light-hearted article addresses the anatomy and physiology of the perineum in an engaging and easy to understand way; looks at the current evidence around the decision to suture; and shares ways the author progressed from being apprehensive about suturing to being passionate about the topic and enjoying the skill.

A day in the life of a specialist perineal care clinic.

The specialist perineal care clinic has been running at Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust for over three years. This article tells of a quest to further improve perineal care for women in our care and demonstrates the process from conception to birth of the clinic, as well as the journey taken in order for this service to be set up and run efficiently. Prior to this clinic most women saw different people throughout their care, which was obviously confusing for them, as conflicting advice could be on offer. This clinic has provided consistency and continuity which has improved women's experiences and, in turn, yielded improved outcomes. It has empowered the women to further play a part in their own care from antenatal methods of reducing the chance of perineal trauma to postnatal recovery after perineal breakdown and infection. Both women and staff have benefited from this service as there is always a central point of contact.

Perineal pain in focus: reviewing topical anaesthetic treatments.

Midwives have opportunities to help postnatal mothers to minimise perineal discomfort associated with perineal trauma following vaginal birth. Perineal trauma and associated pain is common and can have a negative impact on the physical, psycho-social transition to motherhood and family life. This article considers the role local anaesthetic agents have in helping women to relieve perineal pain. Key evidence is presented with associated practice considerations, and future research areas are suggested to broaden our understanding of this important aspect of postnatal care.

Perineal wound infections: an audit.

An audit was completed by an NHS trust to determine the rate of perineal trauma amongst vaginal births and to assess the rate of perineal wound infections. The audit results confirmed a higher than average rate of perineal wound infections amongst women who had an instrumental birth. The trust decided to separate the contents of the delivery packs into two separate packs--one pack for birth and one pack for suturing--and developed a back-to-basics update session that was delivered to staff working within the maternity setting. A re-audit the following year confirmed that these measures had worked and the overall perineal wound infection rate reduced within the trust.

Umbilical cord prolapse in primary midwifery care in the Netherlands; a case series.

We aimed to gain insight into umbilical cord prolapse (UCP) reported by primary care midwives in the Netherlands. Cases of UCP were reported by midwives who participated in a postgraduate training programme developed for community-based midwives. Cases were analysed using midwifery charts, ambulance report forms and discharge letters. Procedures to alleviate cord pressure, ambulance timing, mode of birth and neonatal outcomes were inventoried. Diagnosis to delivery interval (DDI) and risk factors were identified. Eight cases of UCP in primary midwifery care were reported of which six occurred at home. Risk factors such as malpresentation (breech) and/or unengaged presenting part were found in four cases, two (unengaged fetal head) were known to the midwife prior to birth. Retrograde bladder filling (2/8), manual elevation of the fetal head (7/8) and Trendelenburg position (1/8) were applied. One infant died of severe birth asphyxia; the other infants recovered and were discharged in good condition.

Midwives' approach to the prevention and repair of obstetric perineal trauma in Spain.

AIM: Different clinical practice guidelines include recommendations on how to prevent and repair obstetric perineal trauma, as well as the use of episiotomy. To evaluate the variability in midwives' professional practices for preventing and repairing perineal trauma, as well as the professional factors that may be associated with the restrictive use of episiotomy. DESIGN: Observational cross-sectional study. METHODS: Three hundred five midwives completed an anonymous questionnaire developed by the authors and distributed across various midwifery scientific societies. The main outcomes measured were the frequencies of adopting specific practices related to perineal injury prevention and repair, episiotomy technique and restrictive episiotomy use (<10%). Odds ratios (OR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals were estimated. RESULTS: Intrapartum perineal massage was not normally used by 253 (83%) of midwives, and 186 (61%) applied compresses soaked in warm water to the perineum. Regarding episiotomy, there was a great deal of variability, noting that 129 (42.3%) adopted a restrictive use of this procedure, 125 (41%) performed it between 10% and 20%, while 51 midwives (16.7%) performed it in more than 20% of cases. In addition, 165 (54.1%) midwives followed an incision angle of 60º. Concerning tears, 155 (50.8%) usually sutured first-degree tears and 273 (89.5%) always sutured second-degree tears. Midwives attending home births (aOR = 6.5; 95% CI: 2.69-15.69), working at a teaching hospital (aOR = 3.69; 95% CI: 1.39-9.84), and the ones who recently completed their professional training (aOR = 3.58; 95% CI: 1.46-8.79) were significantly more likely to adopt a restrictive use of episiotomy. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant variability in Spanish midwives' practices for preventing and repairing perineal tears. Moreover, the restrictive use of episiotomy is associated with midwives attending home births, working in teaching hospitals and having recent professional training. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Critical care nurses' experiences of nursing mothers in an ICU after complicated childbirth.

BACKGROUND: Providing nursing care for a critically ill obstetric patient or a patient who has just become a mother after a complicated birth can be a challenging experience for critical care nurses (CCNs). These patients have special needs because of the significant alterations in their physiology and anatomy together with the need to consider such specifics as breastfeeding and mother-child bonding. AIM: The aim with this study was to describe CCNs' experience of nursing the new mother and her family after a complicated childbirth. METHOD: The design of the study was qualitative. Data collection was carried out through focus group discussions with 13 CCNs in three focus groups during spring 2012. The data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: The analysis resulted in the formulation of four categories: the mother and her vital functions are prioritized; not being responsible for the child and the father; an environment unsuited to the new family and collaboration with staff in neonatal and maternity delivery wards. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: When nursing a mother after a complicated birth the CCNs give her and her vital signs high priority. The fathers of the children or partners of the mothers are expected to take on the responsibility of caring for the newborn child and of being the link with the neonatal ward. It is suggested that education about the needs of new families for nursing care would improve the situation and have clinical implications. Whether the intensive care unit is always the best place in which to provide care for mothers and new families is debatable.

Can midwives promote normality in an occipitoposterior labour through autonomous practice?

It is common practice for epidural analgesia to be offered to women in labour with a suspected occipito-posterior (OP) position. Therefore, this article will challenge whether this practice ensures informed choice and optimal outcomes. Based on a case study, I will explore how midwives can promote normality in an OP labour through autonomous practice. My intuition was that Jane (a pseudonym) may not have consented to an epidural had she known the risks, and as a result, she might have achieved a spontaneous vaginal birth. Midwives should be practising according to non-maleficence, therefore doing no harm (Cluett and Bluff 2006). With the complications associated with epidurals, should midwives question their role in a suspected OP labour?

Breaking it to them gently: fractured clavicle in the newborn.

Birth injuries are frequently seen in newborn infants. Clavicular fractures are the most commonly encountered bony injuries seen in clinical practice. The incidence of clavicle fracture ranges from 0.35 per cent to 2.9 per cent of births and remains undetected at the time of discharge from hospital in up to 40 per cent of cases. Clinical suspicion of fractured clavicle may be raised from history (shoulder dystocia) or clinical examination (spongy feeling or crepitus on palpation). This should be confirmed with imaging studies. Parents should have the diagnosis explained and be reassured that healing without residual deformity will occur without any medical intervention. Careful documentation of any confirmed clavicle fracture is important from medico-legal aspects. We present the case of a newborn clavicular fracture associated with shoulder dystocia, following a vaginal birth,.