Shelly J. Reed

Giving Birth The Voices of Ecuadorian Women

Purpose The purpose of this ethnographic study was to describe the perceptions of Ecuadorian childbearing women Background No studies published in English could be found documenting the perspectives of Ecuadorian childbearing women about their birth experiences. Method Thirty-two women who had recently given birth in Guayaquil, Ecuador participated in audiotaped interviews, which were analyzed as appropriate for ethnographic inquiry. Results “Enduring birth to obtain the gift” was the overarching theme. Supporting themes included caring for self and accessing prenatal care to have a healthy newborn; relying on God to ensure positive maternal/newborn outcomes; submission of self to healthcare providers because of fear, pain, and lack of education; and valuing motherhood. The focus was on the well-being of the child rather than the quality of the birth experience. Implications for Clinical Practice With a growing population of women of childbearing age immigrating into the United States from Central and South America, the need for culturally competent care is increasing. Sensitivity to the cultural beliefs and practices of Hispanic and other culturally diverse childbearing women is critical. Womens reliance on God to ensure positive outcomes should be respected. The provision of education and supportive care will help ensure positive outcomes in culturally diverse women.

Written debriefing: Evaluating the impact of the addition of a written component when debriefing simulations

Debriefing, the reflective period following a simulation, is said to be where the bulk of simulation learning takes place. Many expert opinions regarding debriefing exist, but evidence-based best practices have yet to be identified. Written debriefing is one of these practices; experts state learning can be extended through the addition of a written component to the debriefing process, but no evidence exists to support this. This study compares three debriefing types: discussion alone, and discussion followed by journaling or blogging. Undergraduate nursing students participating in a simulation were randomized as a simulation group to one of these three debriefing types. Following completion of debriefing activities, students completed a Debriefing Experience Scale, a tool designed to evaluate the student experience during debriefing. Data obtained from completed scales were analyzed with ANOVA followed by Fisher LSD post hoc testing. The results showed the students preferred their experience with discussion debriefing over discussion debriefing with a written component added.

Honoring Motherhood: The Meaning of Childbirth for Tongan Women

PURPOSE The purpose of this ethnographic study was to describe the meaning of childbirth for Tongan women. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS In this qualitative descriptive study, 38 Tongan women, 18 from Tonga and 20 from the United States, who had given birth in the past year were invited to share their perceptions of childbirth. Themes were generated collaboratively by the research team. FINDINGS The overarching theme was honoring motherhood; other themes include using strength to facilitate an unmedicated vaginal birth, describing the spiritual dimensions of birth, adhering to cultural practices associated with childbearing, and the influence of the concept of respect on childbearing. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE Understanding the value Tongan women and their families place on motherhood can help nurses to give culturally sensitive nursing care. Tongan beliefs and cultural practices should be respected. Nurses should assess womens personal preferences for their care and advocate for them as needed. Sensitivity to stoicism is important, especially on pain control and patient education. Nurses should be aware of Tongan values regarding modesty and respect, and provide an appropriate care environment. A culturally competent nurse understands the importance of sociocultural influences on womens health beliefs and behaviors and generates appropriate interventions.

Long-term effects on nursing alumni: Assessing a course in public and global health

The impact of a cultural awareness course among nursing students may affect the particular person for years to come. Cultural awareness can be taught via many methods, often requiring study abroad and/or extreme investment of time, money and effort. There is little research on sustained effects on nursing alumni from such a course. The purpose of this descriptive survey study was to determine the long term outcomes of a cultural awareness course and 2) compare the long term effects between alumni who went abroad and those who chose to complete the course locally. One hundred and twenty-one nursing alumni completed the International Education Survey (IES) (Zorn, 1996) with additional open-ended questions. Quantitative and qualitative results concluded: 1) nursing alumni were influenced long term by a course dedicated to public and global health and 2) all alumni had statistically significant IES scores but alumni who studied abroad had the greatest increase.