A Fetal Intensive Care Nursing Program |
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| Authors: | JANET G. BROWN RN WAYNE L. JOHNSON MD FACOG |
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| Affiliation: | Janet Brown is an FICN Program Coordinator und an Obstetric Teaching Coordinator in the Maternity Division of Children's Hospital of Buffalo. She is a BSN candidate at Niagara University, having previously attended, in washington, D.C., the American University and the Washington Hospital Center School of Nursing, from which she received her diploma. Ms. Brown is a member of NAACOG, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and the American Society of Hospital Educators and Trainers.;Wayne Johnson took his MD degree at the university of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville and did his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia Hospital. He has done other postgraduate work in radiologic physics, cardiovascular research, and with a National Cancer Institute Traineeship. Among Dr. Johnson's many professional appointments, a current one is the Chairmanship of the Department of Gynecology-Obstetrics at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is a Fellow of ACOG and AAOG, a member of A MA, and an Associate Examiner of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. An editorial consultant for four medical journals, Dr. Johnson also has his own extensive list of contributions to the medical literature. |
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| Abstract: | A fetal intensive care nursing program, developed by a university department of obstetrics and gynecology in an attempt to provide optimal care for each fetus, is described. The concept is to make each labor and delivery area a fetal intensive care unit. The 160-hour training program of lectures and clinical experience consists of a review of basic anatomy and physiology, gametogenesis, maternal and fetal physiology, and the dynamics of uteroplacental circulation, focusing heavily on the intrapartum period, including fetal monitoring, oxytocin administration, and recognition of fetal problems during the course of labor. Nurses successfully completing the program are more valuable members of the obstetric team, understanding the theory and technique basic to necessary intervention as indicated by nursing and physician assessment of the fetus. |
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