From preop to postop: Cesarean delivery from the anesthesiologist's point of view

Cesarean delivery is rising: implications for care for the perianesthesia Nurse

Cesarean deliveries are on the rise, a fact that is impacting perianesthesia nurses across the country. Although many factors have contributed to this phenomenon, the end result is the need for perianesthesia nurses to update their knowledge base and skill sets to include standard care during the immediate postpartum period. In addition, the perianesthesia nurse will need to consider the normal physiological changes of pregnancy and delivery to assess for postoperative complications unique to obstetrical patients that can significantly affect mortality and morbidity in the surgical postpartum patient.

First assisting in obstetrics: a primer for women's healthcare professionals

As the cesarean rate rises nationwide, many maternity nurses, certified nurse-midwives, certified midwives, and other women's health nursing professionals are expanding their scope of practice to include first assisting with cesarean delivery. Becoming qualified to assist with cesarean section requires evaluation of facility, state, regulatory, and professional standards related to first assistants. First assisting education programs offer didactic education and clinical experience designed to ensure that surgical assistants are competent. Surgical first assistants for cesarean section are expected to be knowledgeable regarding the procedure, the relevant surgical anatomy, potential complications, and options for treatment. Acquiring clinical skills requires significant intraoperative experience under the tutelage of a knowledgeable mentor. In this article, the cesarean section procedure and the role and expectations of the surgical first assistant are described to provide the women's health nursing professional with the information needed to determine whether to include surgical first assisting with cesarean section as part of their professional practice.