Australian Midwifery最新文献

This article has, so far, explored the phenomenon of aspiration associated with obstetric general anaesthesia (see Part 1). Part 2 examines the literature pertaining to the history of dietary regimes for labour and the physiological and psychological effect of restricting or allowing food and fluids during labour. The increasing trend among some health professionals to allow food and fluids during labour and research conducted to investigate the effect of the labouring woman's oral intake on the labour and birth outcomes is also discussed.

The aim of this study was to investigate the experience of birth planning for pregnant women. Research in Australia and overseas has suggested that there are a number of conflicting issues with women's preparation and participation in child-birth. The researcher interviewed forty-two first time mothers in a variety of maternity settings around Victoria to ascertain the importance of birth planning in their approach to childbirth and the ways they went about making their plan and negotiating their needs with health professionals. The data from those interviews demonstrated that the means women used to negotiate their needs for childbirth with health professionals had little influence on their overall pregnancy and birth experience.

Prior to 2002 Australians who wished to become midwives were expected to complete an undergraduate nursing degree and then apply for admission to a university-based post-nursing program in midwifery, usually requiring an additional year of study. Graduates were, therefore, qualified to practice in either profession. Many organisations, coalitions and individuals have contributed to the arduous struggle to ensure that midwives are educated in ways that allow them to confidently and competently fulfil their role as the World Health Organisation defines it. Indeed, in some states, universities and Nurses Boards recognising the need for multiple routes of entry to practice have introduced three-year undergraduate midwifery degrees. So far this has taken place in South Australia and Victoria but other states intend to follow this initiative.

In this paper the background to the development of the ACMI National Bachelor of Midwifery Taskforce and the midwifery Program Standards will be discussed. A brief description of the Program Standards is presented to show how they can be used to ensure that 21st century midwives are capable of competently and confidently responding to the changing needs of maternity service providers and consumers. Finally, the authors argue that it is crucial that employers and clinicians have access to a standardised, objective means to evaluate midwifery programs, and believe that the Standards provide the means to do this.

This paper presents a literature review which pursues both sides of the labouring woman's oral intake debate — to fast or to feed the labouring woman. Part 1 provides an exploration of the phenomenon of gastric content aspiration associated with general anaesthesia and its historical and physiological underpinnings. Part 2 provides an examination of the literature concerning the benefits of fasting labouring women.

The current critical shortage of midwives is a worldwide phenomenon that has created the need for educational programs that prepare midwives, who have previously left midwifery practice, for return to the contemporary clinical workforce. This paper focuses on the support requirements of midwives involved in a refresher program as determined by a research project conducted at The Northern Hospital in Melbourne during 2001.

The project was a small-scale case study involving eight program participants. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to generate data.

Analysis of the data revealed that the concept of support must be considered from personal and professional perspectives, if successful outcomes are to be achieved.

In 2001, a new model of midwifery care was established in the Birth Centre at St George Hospital, a metropolitan hospital in NSW. The new model was designed to encompass the principles and recommendations from numerous government reports and research. The model also build on the previous successful implementation of a team midwifery program (Homer et al 2001b; Homer et al 2001a).

Four newly graduated midwives, together with four more experienced midwives were employed to work in the models of midwifery care. This small study evaluates the first 10 months' using qualitative and quantitative data.

As this is a small study, no firm conclusion can be reached. The results of the evaluation however demonstrated that with appropriate support and mentoring, newly graduated midwives can work in an innovative model of midwifery care within a birth centre environment.

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of a small group of South Australian midwives engaged in client data collection within a unique midwifery triage model. Gadamerian hermeneutic principles guided data collection through unstructured interviews with the midwives and the identification of key themes. Findings included a philosophy of dialogue, the dynamics of dialogue, protection and advocacy issues and individual practices and concerns.