From innovation to common practice: perinatal nursing pre-1970 to 2005.

The history of perinatal nursing from before 1970 to the present is characterized by innovations that became common practice in later years. These innovations include fetal monitoring, mother/baby care, and early postpartum discharge. The driving forces behind changes in care within the social context of the times were scientific/medical developments and families' desires for the best possible childbearing experience. With innovations becoming commonplace, nursing practice became more complex. How nurses approach present-day challenges of increasing technology of birth, looming threats of litigation, and providing care under time and economic restraints is continuing to evolve.

Postpartum women's perceptions of the hospital environment.

OBJECTIVE: To describe postpartum women's perceptions of the hospital environment and how it affects their postpartum experiences. METHOD: Descriptive study using content analysis of interview transcripts. SETTING: Participants were interviewed in their homes within the first 3 postpartum weeks about their postpartum experiences. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-one primiparous women who gave birth vaginally to full-term newborns. They were recruited from two large childbirth education programs in the Pacific Northwest. RESULTS: The categories addressing the hospital environment were context, physical conditions, sociocultural conditions, contingencies, and consequences. Overall, these women had more negative perceptions than positive ones of the hospital environment. Women's perceptions seemed to be most influenced by the context of care. Women with mother/baby care had a greater proportion of positive perceptions than women with other care modalities. CONCLUSION: Nurses need to modify or change the hospital environment to promote more positive experiences for new mothers.