Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

This descriptive study explored the congruency between the Prepared Childbirth couple's planned antenatal coaching support style and the observed coaching support style and the couple's postpartal perceptions of the coaching support style. Also explored were the relationship of coach's support style and the degree of the couple's postpartal satisfaction with the childbirth experience. A rrodified version of Campbell's Antenatal Questionnaire and Postpartal Questionnaire (1980) and Standley and Anderson's Naturalistic Observation Fonn were utilized for this study and administered to 10 Prepared Childbirth couples for labor observation and detennination of coaches' support styles. The researcher was not able to observe two of the couples in the sample during labor to determine the coach's style. Data collected from these two couples could only be used to answer twu of the four hypotheses, resulting in 16 subjects in the sample for these instead of 20. Only five of 16 subjects accurately predicted the coaching style that was observed. Six of the 16 subjects' postpartal perceptions of the coaching style agreed with the observer's classification. TWelve out of 20 subjects had congruent antepartal expectations and postpartal perceptions even though the coach may have demonstrated a different support style than planned. Based on the findings of the study, the majority of the subjects were not able to predict the support style that the individual coach would derronstrate during his wife's labor. This had little effect on postpartal satisfaction. The wives of coaches who utilized the "interactive through instrumentation" support style had the lowest rating of satisfaction with the childbirth a-perience. These wives also reported more complications occurring in labor during their postpartal interview.

A RESEARCH REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH JANUARY 2012 / Background: Nkhensani Hospital is a level 1 district hospital which provides comprehensive and integrated health care for the Giyani sub–district population, which is estimated to be 270 000. The major services provided are casualty, medicine, paediatrics, maternity and surgery. The hospital is experiencing challenges in the maternity ward which is admitting more patients than the 47 allocated beds. Monthly, an average of 400 women are admitted for delivery from clinics. The causes are suspected to be due to a number of different factors like shortage of staff at the clinics, poor referral system, poor services at clinics and health centres, poor facilities, and pregnant woman not attending antenatal care and bypassing lower levels of care. Aim: To describe the pattern and appropriateness of referrals in patients attending the maternity ward at the Nkhensani Hospital. Methodology: A retrospective study was used to review and asses the patient records for the study (January to December 2009). Information was obtained from the Hospital Information System and secondary data from patients records will be used to assess the referral pattern in Nkhensani Hospital’s maternity ward. Results: The data showed that the patients admitted had a mean age of 26 years, with a range from 15 to 45 years. Patients were admitted for various reasons, which when categorised were found to have 57% of inappropriate referrals. Similarly 68% of referrals were found to have low risk pregnancies. About 85% of the deliveries were normal vaginal deliveries. Of the patients who attended the facility, 57% were referred from clinics, 19% from community health centres, 1% from general practitioners and 23% as self referrals. The source of referral was not found to be v associated with appropriate reasons for delivery, risk category, length of stay or mode of delivery. Conclusion: The research showed that the referral pattern in the maternity ward from clinics and health centres as well as self referrals indicated that policies were not being adhered to, which led to an over utilisation of the maternity ward in Nkhensani Hospital under Giyani sub-district

Mothers of neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units appear to suffer stress which may be related to the illness and treatments the neonate is undergoing, separation from the neonate and social and relationship issues. Nursing professionals employed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) need specific preparation in order to assist mothers to cope with the experience of their neonate being admitted to the NICU. Research is required in order to adequately describe the nature of the stress and whether it changes over a period of time and to provide nursing professionals with information relating to the subject of stress suffered by mothers in this situation. A quantitative, longitudinal study of stress experienced by mothers of the neonate NICU patient was undertaken using the Neonatal Unit Parental Stress (NUPS) Scale (Reid, Bramwell, Booth & Weindling, 2007) (Reid et al., 2007). Mothers who met inclusion criteria were recruited to participate in the study. They were asked to complete the NUPS questionnaire at two time points. Correlations were examined between data obtained on the NUPS questionnaire and the mother and infant demographic data. The results of this study have shown that mothers experience the greatest stress as a result of neonatal suffering and their inability to perform functions of the mother role as a result of separation from the neonate. These findings have been used to make recommendations for the preparation of nursing professionals who work in the NICU.

Thesis (M.S.N.)--Marshall University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 62 p. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 43-47).

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This study explores the opinions and experiences of East Tennessee State University (ETSU) male nursing students after they have completed their clinical rotations in obstetrics (OB). Participants are interviewed about their preconceptions and post-experience perspectives regarding the clinical rotation. After analyzing the interviews, the students’ perceptions appeared to be grounded in their perceived level of comfort with women’s health nursing. Themes include (1) preconceptions, (2) welcoming, (3) rejecting, and (4) culture.

StatPearls Publishing Review Series strives to help you learn the pearls in pediatric hospital medicine. This text contains 1150 multiple-choice questions with explanations that are linked to additional online references.

Learning Objectives: (1) Identify three primary care friendly screening tools useful for identifying behavioral health concerns in adolescents. (2) Describe how a "champion" (quality improvement) team can help facilitate implementation of a screener in a primary care.

In this article, we review evidence about the treatment of obesity that may have applications in primary care, community, and tertiary care settings. We examine current information about eating behaviors, physical activity behaviors, and sedentary behaviors that may affect weight in children and adolescents. We also review studies of multidisciplinary behavior-based obesity treatment programs and information about more aggressive forms of treatment. The writing group has drawn from the available evidence to propose a comprehensive 4-step or staged-care approach for weight management that includes the following stages: (1) Prevention Plus; (2) structured weight management; (3) comprehensive multidisciplinary intervention; and (4) tertiary care intervention. We suggest that providers encourage healthy behaviors while using techniques to motivate patients and families, and interventions should be tailored to the individual child and family. Although more intense treatment stages will generally occur outside the typical office setting, offices can implement less intense intervention strategies. We not ony address specific patient behavior goals but also encourage practices to modify office systems to streamline office-based care and to prepare to coordinate with professionals and programs outside the office for more intensive interventions.