Creating a More Diverse Midwifery Workforce in the United States: A Historical Reflection.

INTRODUCTION: As nurse-midwifery practice expanded beyond areas surrounding early nurse-midwifery education programs, leaders in the profession wanted to establish a strong diverse, inclusive professional organization, a necessary step in creating a diverse workforce (defined here as open to nurse-midwives of all colors, ethnicities, and national origins) that would maintain standards, provide continuing education, and facilitate communication among nurse-midwives. This research presents historical context and organizational factors supporting and limiting development of a workforce reflective of communities served by nurse-midwives. METHODS: Searches in the National Library of Medicine Historical Collection, American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Collections, and the Rockefeller Archives Center, as well as recorded interview data, provided primary sources for analysis. Secondary sources include research and opinions in scholarly publications including journals and books released from 1930 to the present. RESULTS: Nurse-midwifery leaders developed relationships with well-respected philanthropists, as well as maternal and child health administrators in state departments of health and the US Children's Bureau, to implement initiatives to recruit and retain midwives of color. Continued interest in the goal of inclusion, work of midwives of color, and commitment to creating a diverse workforce led to the creation of the standing ACNM Midwives of Color Committee in 1990 and the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, which released its report, "Shifting the Frame: A Report on Diversity and Inclusion in the American College of Nurse-Midwives,"1 in June 2015. DISCUSSION: Over the past 60 years, ACNM leadership and midwives of color have continued to explore new and effective means to create a workforce that reflects the communities in which nurse-midwives practice.

Historical reflection on health promotion within midwifery care in the United States.

Heath promotion has become recognized as a vital component of health care delivery. It is well known that the traditional model of medical care delivery is limited by its focus on diagnosis of illness and treatment. The integration of public health concepts of prevention and health promotion offers depth and breadth of care that is associated with attaining optimal health status. This review offers a historical reflection on the early and continued integration of health promotion activities in midwifery care in the United States.

Differences in baseline lung cancer mortality between the German uranium miners cohort and the population of the former German Democratic Republic (1960-2003).

A previous analysis of the radon-related lung cancer mortality risk, in the German uranium miners cohort, using Poisson modeling techniques, noted internal (spontaneous) rates that were higher on average than the external rates by 16.5% (95% CI: 9%; 24%). The main purpose of the present paper is to investigate the nature of, and possible reasons for, this difference by comparing patterns in spontaneous lung cancer mortality rates in a cohort of male miners involved in uranium extraction at the former Wismut mining company in East Germany with national male rates from the former German Democratic Republic. The analysis is based on miner data for 3,001 lung cancer deaths, 1.76 million person-years for the period 1960-2003, and national rates covering the same calendar-year range. Simple "age-period-cohort" graphical analyses were applied to assess the main qualitative differences between the national and cohort baseline lung cancer rates. Some differences were found to occur mainly at higher attained ages above 70 years. Although many occupational risk factors may have contributed to these observed age differences, only the effects of smoking have been assessed here by applying the Peto-Lopez indirect method for calculating smoking attributability. It is inferred that the observed age differences could be due to the greater prevalence of smoking and more mature smoking epidemic in the Wismut cohort compared to the general population of the former German Democratic Republic. In view of these observed differences between external population-based rates and internal (spontaneous) cohort baseline lung cancer rates, it is strongly recommended to apply only the internal rates in future analyses of uranium miner cohorts.

Radon and the risk of cancer mortality--internal Poisson models for the German uranium miners cohort.

Uranium mining occurred between 1946 and 1990 at the former Wismut mining company in East Germany. 58,987 male former employees form the largest single uranium miners cohort, which has been followed up for causes of mortality occurring from the beginning of 1946 to the end of 2003. The purpose of this paper is to present the radon exposure related cancer mortality risk based on 20,920 deaths, 2 million person-years, and 6,373 cancers. The latter include 3,016 lung cancers and 3,053 extrapulmonary solid cancers. Internal Poisson regression was used to estimate the excess relative risk (ERR) per unit of cumulative radon exposure in Working Level Months (WLM) for all major sites and for the follow-up period from 1946 to 2003. The simple cohort ERR WLM for lung cancer is 0.20% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17%; 0.22%]. The ERR model for lung cancer is linear in radon exposure with exponential effect modifiers that depend on age at median exposure, time since median exposure, and radon exposure-rate. In this model the central estimate of ERR WLM is 1.06% (95% CI: 0.69%; 1.42%) for an age at median exposure of 33 y, a time since median exposure of 11 y, and an exposure-rate of 2.7 WL. This central ERR decreases by 5% for each unit exposure-rate increase. The ERR decreases by 32% with each decade increase in age at median exposure and also decreases by 54% with each decade increase in time since median exposure. The ERR WLM for all extrapulmonary solid cancers combined without effect modification is 0.014% (95% CI: 0.006%; 0.023%). The ERR model for extrapulmonary solid cancer is linear in radon exposure with an exponential effect modifier which depends on age-attained. In this model the central estimate of ERR WLM is 0.040% (95% CI: -0.001%; 0.082%) for an age-attained of 44. The ERR decreases by 37% with each decade increase in age-attained. The highest ERR WLM, after lung, is observed for cancers of the pharynx (0.16%), tongue/mouth (0.045%), and liver (0.04%).

The influence of radon exposures on lung cancer mortality in German uranium miners, 1946-2003.

Extensive uranium extraction took place from 1946 until 1990 at the former Wismut mining company in East Germany. A total of 58,987 male former employees of this company form the largest single uranium miners cohort that has been followed up for causes of mortality occurring from the beginning of 1946 to the end of 2003. The purpose of this study was to investigate and evaluate different forms of models for the radon exposure-related lung cancer mortality risk based on 3,016 lung cancer deaths and 2 million person years. Other exposure covariables such as occupational exposure to external gamma radiation, long-lived radionuclides, arsenic, fine dust and silica dust are available. The standardized mortality ratio for lung cancer is 2.03 (95% CI: 1.96; 2.10). The simple cohort excess relative risk (ERR/WLM) for lung cancer is estimated as 0.0019 (95% CI: 0.0016; 0.0022). The BEIR VI model produced risks similar to those obtained with a selected mathematically continuous ERR model for lung cancer. The continuous model is linear in radon exposure with exponential effect modifiers that depend on the whole range of age at median exposure, time since median exposure, and radon exposure rate. In this model the central estimate of ERR/WLM is 0.0054 (95% CI: 0.0040; 0.0068) for an age at median exposure of 30 years, a time since median exposure of 20 years, and a mean exposure rate of 3 WL. The ERR decreases by 5% for each unit of exposure-rate increase. The ERR decreases by 28% with each decade increase in age at median exposure and also decreases by 51% with each decade increase in time since median exposure. The method of determination of radon exposure (i.e., whether the exposures were estimated or measured) did not play an important role in the determination of the ERR. The other exposure covariables were found to have only minor confounding influences on the ERR/WLM for the finally selected continuous model when included in an additive way.

Beliefs and rituals in traditional birth attendant practice in Guatemala.

Childbearing women and infants in developing countries continue to experience unacceptably high rates of mortality and morbidity in spite of targeted initiatives to address the problem. The aim of this study was to identify the beliefs and rituals of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in one indigenous Guatemalan community to better understand the cultural influences on perinatal care practices. Ethnographic methods were used to increase understanding of the practice of 10 Mayan TBAs. Three themes were constructed: sacred calling, sacred knowledge and sacred ritual.

International service learning in midwifery and nursing education.

The health of women and childbearing families is a global concern that must be addressed if we are to be successful in ensuring healthy families. Numerous strategies have been suggested to increase appreciation for the global factors that influence maternal and child health and the overall health status of a community. Inclusion of cultural content in courses offered in educational programs and provision of clinical learning experiences in diverse communities have commonly been used in midwifery and nursing education. This article reviews the concept of service learning and its application in a course that provides an opportunity for students to participate in an international immersion program. Evaluation of the course found that participants increased their knowledge and skills in providing reproductive health care, developed appreciation for the knowledge and skills of traditional birth attendants, and expanded their world view of women and families in communities.