ABSTRACT
A panel of leading experts in critical care obstetric (CCOB) nursing met to discuss the specialty and its future, the impact of changes in the health care system, educational opportunities to learn and update CCOB nursing, formation and use of standards for the specialty, patient placement (dedicated obstetric intensive care units [OB ICU], labor and delivery intensive care units [L & D ICU], regular intensive care units [ICU]), patient populations, and interactions and working relationships with the physicians who care for CCOB patients (perinatologists, obstetricians, internists, obstetric medicine specialists, anesthesiologists, other subspecialists). The topics for discussion were chosen by Carol J. Harvey, RNC, MS, who acted as moderator and Mary Ellen Burke, RN, MS, coordinated the publication of the discussion.
Subject(s)
Critical Care , Obstetric Nursing , Specialties, Nursing , Critical Care/organization & administration , Forecasting , Humans , Obstetric Nursing/education , Obstetric Nursing/organization & administration , Specialties, Nursing/education , Specialties, Nursing/organization & administrationABSTRACT
Electronic fetal monitoring has become an integral component of current obstetric nursing care. The goals of surveillance are to establish fetal well-being and identify the fetus at risk for asphyxia and death. Fetal heart rate (FHR) responses provide a cardiovascular indication of fetal acid-base status. To evaluate FHR tracings and plan care accordingly, the nurse must understand the physiologic regularity mechanisms of the fetus, baseline patterns, and periodic changes of the fetal heart rate.
Subject(s)
Critical Care , Fetal Monitoring/methods , Pregnancy Complications/nursing , Female , Fetal Monitoring/instrumentation , Fetal Monitoring/nursing , Heart Rate, Fetal , Humans , PregnancyABSTRACT
Invasive hemodynamic pressure monitoring may be used in the care of the critically ill pregnant woman. The critical care obstetric nurse must have a thorough understanding of the indications for monitoring and interpretation of acquired data and must develop the skills necessary to operate and trouble-shoot the related equipment. This article provides a review of technical aspects of a hemodynamic pressure monitoring system.
Subject(s)
Hemodynamics , Monitoring, Physiologic/methods , Pregnancy Complications/nursing , Critical Care , Female , Humans , Monitoring, Physiologic/instrumentation , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate recognition and therapeutic intervention. The obstetric nurse must have in-depth knowledge of the physiologic changes occurring during pregnancy, the relationship between these changes and cerebrovascular accidents, and the pathophysiology of increased intracranial pressure to provide the most comprehensive nursing care. This chapter describes fundamental principles of intracranial pressure monitoring.
