Effects of Early Admission and Collaborative Management on Labor

Effects of Early Admission and Collaborative Management on Labor

In the antenatal period, nurses should provide pregnant women with anticipatory guidance concerning admission in labor. Women should be educated about the phases of labor and when to come to the delivery facility. Most importantly, women should be counseled regarding the risks of early admission (Jackson et al., 2003). The purpose of the research article “Impact of Collaborative Management and Early Admission in Labor on Method of Delivery” by Jackson, Lang, Ecker, Swartz, and Heeren was to compare the effects of the timing of admission in labor as well as the type of perinatal care provider on the delivery method. The purpose of this paper is to critique the article by giving an overview of its key points as well as discussing its strengths and weaknesses.

Key Points

The primary purpose of research in the article is to understand what type of care in labor is best and at what time in labor the mother should be admitted. The desired result would be an increased rate of spontaneous vaginal delivery in low-risk women. The study found that later admission (at 4 cm or greater cervical dilation) and management of perinatal care by certified nurse midwives in collaboration with obstetricians increased the rate of spontaneous vaginal delivery in low-risk women. Two specific factors were looked at with regard to the occurrence of assisted and cesarean delivery. There factors were early admission of the pregnant woman (at less than 4 cm dilation) and certified nurse-midwife (CNM) collaborative care as opposed to physician-only care (Jackson et al., 2003).

Strengths

A strength in the study was its method of design and data collection. Data was obtained from prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal medical records and two questionnaires that patients could give themselves (Jackson et al., 2003). Such a method would allow for both qualitative and quantitative data to be obtained, and having the...