Master Resource Outline

Credits: 3 (didactic)
Semester Offered: Fall
Prerequisites: NRSG 641, NRSG 644
Co-requisites: NRSG 639, NRSG 643
Degree: DNP
AACN Core Competencies for Advanced-level Nursing Education: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9
MRJCON DNP Program Learning Outcome: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9
MRJCON NM Option Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7

Course Description

This graduate level nursing course focuses on students developing the critical thinking skills to be able to translate theoretical knowledge and research relevant to the discipline of midwifery into a safe, evidence-based plan of care during the intrapartum period. The significance of human presence during labor is emphasized. Students learn skills needed to confirm and assess labor progression and how to support physical, psychological, emotional,
spiritual, and social needs during labor and birth. Focus is placed on developing and applying assessment and differential diagnosis skills when assessing fetal status during labor, including electronic fetal monitoring. Knowledge gained in foundational courses on the safe use of pharmacologic agents including pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapeutics will provide the basis for identifying appropriate use of drugs during labor. Students learn to anticipate and identify deviations from the normal intrapartum, complications, and emergencies and how to intervene appropriately.

Catalog Description

This graduate nursing course focuses on the provision of safe, evidencebased midwifery care during labor. Skills needed to assess and promote normal labor progression are emphasized. Students learn how to intervene when maternal or fetal complications and emergencies arise.

Course Learning Outcomes: Upon completing this course the student will be able to:

1. Integrate professional standards, midwifery theoretical knowledge and research, and knowledge from foundational courses when developing a plan of care for the person labor.
2. Demonstrate skill and abilities with the use of information technology when planning care to improve outcomes.
3. Describe the therapeutic value of human presence during labor.
4. Analyze evidence-based techniques of counseling, guiding, and educating pregnant people when assisting them to make informed choices about labor and birth.
5. Integrate evidence-based techniques when learning to provide compassionate holistic care to meet the physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and social needs of pregnant persons and families/households during normal labor and birth or when deviations occur.
6. Describe the evidence-based processes and skills of independently confirming and assessing labor and its progress, assessing the laboring person and fetus, administering local anesthesia, managing a spontaneous vaginal birth, managing the third stage of labor, and doing and repairing an episiotomy.
7. Synthesize evidence-based clinical approaches needed to anticipate, identify, and manage deviations from normal labor, complications, and emergencies.
8. Identify clinical scenarios in which the nurse midwife should consult, collaborate, and or refer patients to interprofessional team members 

Exemplars of Course Learning Outcomes

1. Design a shared decision making plan of care to be used when counseling a low-risk pregnant person regarding labor and delivery. Include clinical history considerations, options of care, principles of informed consent, decision aids to be used, and values to be considered. [CLO1,CLO2, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5]
2. Write a paper analyzing the evidence about one of the following topics and be prepared to present a summary of findings to classmates: promoting spontaneous onset of labor; promoting progress in labor; promoting comfort in labor; or assessment of fetal wellbeing. BirthTOOLS may be used as a resource for supporting physiologic birth. [CLO6, CLO7, CLO8]

American College of Nursing Midwives Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice

Includes the fundamental knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of new midwives certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).

V. Components of Midwifery Care - While each person’s life is a continuum, midwifery care can be divided into primary, preconception, gynecologic/reproductive/sexual health, antepartum intrapartum and postpregnancy care:

E-1. Confirms and assesses labor and its progress
E-2. Performs ongoing evaluation of the laboring person and fetus
E-3. Identifies deviations from normal and implements appropriate interventions
including management of

a. complications
b. abnormal intrapartum events
c. emergencies

E-4. Facilitates the process of labor and birth
E-5. Provides support for physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, and social needs during labor and birth.
E-6. Applies pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic strategies to facilitate coping in labor

American College of Nurse Midwives Competencies for Practice Doctorate in Midwifery

1. Translate expert clinical knowledge and research relevant to midwifery into best practice models
3. Interpret and apply research related to the national and international distribution and determinants of health and disease of women and newborns
5. Use effective communication and leadership skills to enhance team function and promote positive change in the health care of women and newborns
6. Analyze theories relevant to the discipline of midwifery, and apply these theories to inform and evaluate the health care of women and newborns

American College of Nurse Midwives Core Values

• Excellence
• Evidence-based care
• Inclusiveness
• Woman-centered care
• Partnership
• Advocacy

Recommended Content

1. Midwifery management process during labor
2. Assessment of labor progression
3. Provision of support for physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, and social needs during labor
4. Use pharmacologic agents and non-pharmacologic strategies to facilitate coping during labor
5. Application of psychomotor skills learned in pre-requisite courses including administration of local anesthesia, management of spontaneous vaginal birth, management of third stage of labor, episiotomy and repair of laceration
6. Anticipation, identification, and intervention when deviations from normal, complications, and emergencies arise

 

Approved by GAAC: 9/9/2022
Approved by Faculty: 9/12/22