BACKGROUND In sub-Saharan Africa including South Africa, maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high due to a shortage of registered nurses with advanced midwifery diplomas. OBJECTIVE To determine the profile of registered nurses (RNs) involved in maternity care in public referral hospitals of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. METHOD A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted...

All student nurses are allocated clinical placements throughout their three year course, in which to develop their practical skills. Whilst in practice, they are supported by a designated mentor, who is the student’s identified lead for educational support. In this context, mentor support is provided by practitioners, who have undertaken an approved mentor preparation programme, approved by the...

nurses this hook should prove invaluable. It deals with all obstetric emergencies and should be a great help to midwives working in lonely districts as it indicates clearly and simply what should be done in an emergency before medical help arrives. The chapter on infant feeding is particularly good, no mention being made of the popular patent foods. The only point of criticism to be made is tha...

In the end of the XXI century, one may observe a movement strengthening nursing that is reflected in several WHA resolutions, recognizing the importance and the strategic character of nursing actions among the health professions. The formation of a Global Network of Collaborating Centers linked to WHO formalizes these changes and consolidates the link of nurses with the Organization’s direction...

The use of computers in the delivery of health care has significantly improved the way health service is delivered to clients and patients in the world. Despite the importance of computing to the delivery of health service, developing countries have not greatly benefited from it. Nursing informatics has been in existence and part of academic curriculum for the past 2 decades in some advanced co...

This is the third article in a nine-part series describing the Principles of Nursing Practice developed by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in collaboration with patient and service organisations, the Department of Health, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, nurses and other healthcare professionals. The article discusses Principle B, the need for accountability and responsibility in the provi...

This is the seventh article in a nine-part series describing the Principles of Nursing Practice developed by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in collaboration with patient and service organisations, the Department of Health, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, nurses and other healthcare professionals. The article discusses Principle F, the application of skills and knowledge to person-centred...

OBJECTIVE To explore the practice of midwifery within a busy urban tertiary hospital birth setting and to present findings on the relationships between nurses and midwives in providing maternity care. DESIGN/METHOD A focused ethnography on midwifery practice conducted over 2 years (2004-2006) in a teaching hospital serving a primarily Medicaid-eligible population in Northern California. Data ...

PURPOSE To explore the levels of continuing education management in hospitals according to their size, and to investigate problems in the management of continuing education of nurse midwives by chief nurses in community hospitals. METHODS The target population was 128 chief nurses, 103 of whom (80.47%) returned the questionnaires. Data were collected using a questionnaire that had been tested...