The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world. Over 700 mothers die each year from pregnancy-related complications, 60% of which are preventable.
Numerous research studies support the increased integration of midwives in health care systems because it is key to producing optimal maternal-newborn outcomes. However, less than 10% of
births in the United States are attended by midwives, compared to 50-75% of births in other industrialized nations, all of which demonstrating substantially lower maternal mortality rates.
The practice of midwifery has been marginalized and delegitimized despite midwives producing similar or better outcomes than physicians with lower costs and less unnecessary medical
interventions. Another advantage of utilizing midwives is their ability to reach socially disadvantaged groups, such as non-Hispanic black women who suffer the greatest number of maternal deaths. The historic shift away from midwifery and to medicine in the 20th century has
been perpetuated by the fallacy that childbirth is a pathological process that only physicians are equipped to manage. This thesis focused on how women’s fears of childbirth and misperceptions of midwives have led to the normalcy of hospital, physician-attended births and may have
subsequently elevated maternal mortality rates.
The purpose of this research is to investigate the disease process of Multiple sclerosis (MS) through a review of the literature. Using multiple credited articles of research, this study analyzed the factors that lead to the diagnosis of MS. These factors include stages, genetics, environment, symptom analysis, diagnostic tests, and treatments. A combination of both genetics and environmental factors were found to play the greatest role in determining the origin of MS, yet cannot be identified as a definite influence. Because the exact cause of MS is still unknown,
the treatment or “cure” is a mystery. However, with an increase in technology and treatment options, most individuals can manage their disease with medications and lifestyle changes in order to sustain a healthy long life. Further studies are needed to determine if a cure to MS can be developed.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension of in-person classes across the globe. As a result, the nursing schools in the United States altered their method of instruction from face-to-face to remote learning, including the in-person clinical rotations and NCLEX-RN preparation for the graduating nursing students.
Objective: This qualitative research study explores the lived experience of the registered nurses who prepared for their NCLEX-RN and transitioned into professional nursing practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research and Methods: The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with seven registered nurses privately through phone calls, Google Meet, or Zoom meetings through the snowball technique. In addition, the researcher used ATLAS.ti to analyze all interview transcripts.
Results: Three major themes emerged from this study: concerns regarding social isolation, lack of hands-on experience, and difficult transition to hospital practice. the researcher gathered mixed responses regarding their preparation for the NCLEX-RN, with three of them arguing that remote learning had a negative impact, three discussing otherwise, and one having mixed feelings. Five out of seven participants explicitly stated their problems regarding social isolation due to lack of interaction. In addition, they all expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of hands-on experience since the clinical rotations were suspended. Lastly, five out of seven participants explained having difficulty transitioning to hospital practice. Additional concerns were directed toward anxiety and lack of confidence, resulting from their perceptions and experiences.
Conclusion: The consensus from this research study is that the participants' negative lived experience outweighed the positive ones, which inevitably led to feelings of doubt, frustration, loneliness, and uncertainty. Further research is necessary to understand the full-scale impact of the pandemic, especially in the field of nursing and nursing education.