Virtual Perceptorship Nursing - Essay Example

? Virtual Perceptorship Changes in Maternal Characteristics in Nova Scotia, Canada from 1988 to 2001 Research Overview This study conducted by Deshayne et al in Nova Scotia, Canada, and published in 2005 analyses various changes in maternal characteristics from the pre natal period into the perinatal period. The purpose of this study was to highlight various changes and their trends in maternal characteristics during various periods. The maternal characteristics that the study aimed to discuss were parity, age, pre-pregnancy and pregnancy weight gains, and smoking status. The research team used a perinatal database to examine the aforementioned maternal characteristics between 1988 and 2001. From the study, notable findings were that; over the study period, women above 35 years increased their rate of delivery by over 84 % while for women above 40 years, their deliveries increased by over 100%; The prevalence of smoking in women decreased from 32.7% in 1988 to below 25.1% in 2001; prevalence of women below 20 years remained almost the same during the study period at 50%; there was an increase in the proportion of women with a pre pregnancy weight gain of over 90 kilograms over the study period; There was a also an increase in proportion of women with a pregnancy weight gain over the study period. Finally, nulliparity increased significantly over the study period. From the study, the research team concluded that, dramatic changes have occurred in maternal characteristics in Nova Scotia, over the years between 1988 and 2001. From the foreseen changes, it is evident that these changes are on-going. The research team also concluded that, if these maternal characteristics continue changing into the future, it is going to affect perinatal health and obstetric practice. This is because; maternal characteristics are known indices of obstetric practice, perinatal mortality and morbidity (Bianco, 1996). Research Critique This research has been done proficiently and effectively. The time period that the research team used was sufficient enough to attain the necessary results and possible conclusions. The study was conducted on Nova Scotia women in a time period of 14 years. This long period of time chosen has made the research proficient in the sense that it gave the research team sufficient time to analyze the chosen maternal characteristics which are useful indices of obstetric practice and perinatal care. Another factor that has made the research proficient is that women chosen were of varying age groups. This has enabled the research team to avoid bias in their findings since one finding may be characteristic of a particular age group and not the other. For example, smoking prevalence was assessed in women below 20 years and those above 35 years. It was found that the prevalence did not change much over the 14 year period in women below 20 years while it increased tremendously in women above 35 years. The data of the study is reliable and this has ensured that the findings are consistent with the available data. The representative sample chosen was women in Nova Scotia who had given birth between 1988 and 2001. The data was obtained from the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database (NSAPD), a reputable organization that has for years collected accurate data on births in Nova Scotia since 1988. Its personnel are well trained so that there are no errors during data collection exercises. As a result of this, findings on the study are highly accurate and up to date, and they represent the reality on the ground. The reported findings from the study in Nova Scotia are consistent with information available on the subject matter. More recently, studies in western countries indicate that maternal characteristics are changing, and this trend is worrying health care experts (Edwards, 1996). For example, pre pregnancy weight gain has been observed to increase in various women, and this is worrying because adverse weight gains in pregnancy are associated with adverse birth outcomes. Recent findings assert that in recent decades, there has been a relaxation on weight gain restrictions. Such weight gain predisposes to conditions such as caesarian delivery and post partum maternal weight retention (Young, 2002). I would recommend the findings of this study on women in Nova Scotia to many health care settings around the nation, and various aspects of clinical practice. This is because; the findings are consistent with recent developments in obstetric medicine and the study has noteworthy strength in terms of the large data sample used. As a result of this, this study is applicable in other parts of Canada and in various industrialized nations of the world. However, one major limitation of the study was that there was no maternal height, an important index in calculating Body Mass Index (BMI), an important proportion in obstetric medicine. Through BMI, one is able to assess weight gains and weight losses more effectively i.e. one is able to determine whether one is underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. BMI is the best way of assessing for weight gain since one may gain 50 kilograms and still fall under the recommended weight standards according to clinicians. On the other hand, one may also lose 30 kilograms, but still fall under the recommended weight according to clinicians. However, with BMI, a ratio of weight and height is obtained, and exceeding a particular ratio is considered unhealthy. Conclusion All in all, the study on women in Nova Scotia has shown that maternal characteristics in western countries have changed within a decade or so, and the present trends indicate that further changes are likely to occur. These findings are alarming because, perinatal complications are likely to occur with women who are nulliparous and of high pre-pregnancy weight. Such trends are worrying; hence, countermeasures need to be put in place so that traits like smoking in young, pregnant women and obesity in pre-pregnant women are reduced. Findings of this study need to be circulated in all healthcare institutions around the state so that future recurrences of these findings no longer occur. However, future studies need to consider BMI as an index of determining weight in pregnant women instead of using weight gain alone. This would make the findings more accurate. References Bianco A, S. J. (1996). Pregnancy outcome. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 917-922. Edwards LE, H. W. (1996). Pregnancy complications and birth. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 389-394. Young TK, W. (2002). Factors that are associasted with caesarian delivery in a large private practice; The importance of prepregnancy body mass index and weight gain. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 312-320. Read More