Note:  Contact hours may vary slightly as all HACPP core offerings are due to be renewed in early 2012.

Caring for the Antepartal Patient
Upon completion of this offering, participants will be able to define methods of antepartum testing, identify multidisciplinary components of the nursing care plan for the long-term antepartal patient, describe the physical and psychosocial effects of bed rest and list nursing interventions related to antepartum care.  Fetal Monitoring 1 or a basic knowledge of fetal monitoring is recommended.  Hi Risk Maternal Care serves as a companion module for this offering.  (7 Contact Hours)  Apr 26 & Sep 6 – taught at MHSW LRC B; min 10 – max 34

Breastfeeding the Compromised Infant
This 5 hour course uses current scientific data to enable the care giver to assist mother’s of premature and compromised infants to establish breast milk, transition to the breast and enhance the duration of breastfeeding to improve health outcomes for these most fragile infants.  Topics covered include Breastfeeding the Compromised Infant; Skin to Skin Contact; Breastfeeding Equipment to Assist with Feeding Difficulties; and Supporting the Mother of the Compromised Infant.  (4.0 Contact Hours)  Feb 10 & Aug 10 – taught at the Woman’s Hospital of Texas Classroom C; min 10 – max 40 – Note: this course goes from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm

Breastfeeding Management
This offering includes information on the advantages of breastfeeding, the uniqueness of human milk, anatomy and physiology of the human breast and hormones involved in lactation.  Participants will also learn the barriers to breastfeeding and common myths.  Latch-on and positioning is described and demonstrated and information about support during the early days is included.  Management of common breastfeeding difficulties and nursing beyond the first month is discussed.  (6.0 Contact Hours)  Feb 9 & Aug 9 – taught at the Woman’s Hospital of Texas Classroom C; min 10 – max 40

Family Issues
This offering covers post partum assessment of the mother for vaginal and C/S birth; priorities in post partum discharge teaching; assessment and intervention for maternal post partum mood disorders; assessment, education, and referral for domestic violence; and counseling and caring for families with a perinatal loss.  (6 Contact Hours)  Feb 8 & Jul 11 – taught at MHSW LRC B; min 10 – max 34

High Risk Maternal Care
This offering covers six frequently encountered complications of pregnancy:  Diabetes, Preterm Labor, Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy, DIC, Maternal Cardiac Disease and Obstetric Hemorrhage.  Content is based on review of the current literature and includes risk factors, signs and symptoms, diagnoses, medical and nursing management, and nursing implications throughout the pregnancy continuum.  (6.5 Contact Hours)  Feb 23 & Aug 23 – taught at MHSW LRC B; min 10 – max 34

Low Risk Maternal Care
This offering is for nurses new to obstetrics.  The program begins with a review of reproductive pathophysiology and proceeds to methods of inducing or augmenting labor, comfort measures for labor, the nurses role in Cesarean sections, VBAC’s, the use of IUPC’s and ends with discussion of legal issues, standards of care, and case studies.  (No Contact Hours)  Feb 3 & Jul 27 – taught at MHSW LRC B; min 8 – max 34

Newborn Adaptation
This offering examines the transition of newborns to extrauterine life.  The participant will be able to identify assessments and interventions that support the newborn’s physical, neurosensory and emotional adjustment to the birth process and list ways to promote the health of newborns and their families.  The special needs of the “near-term” infant are also presented.  (6.5 Contact Hours)  Feb 22 & Jul 18 – taught at MHSW LRCB; min 5 max 34

Perioperative Nursing in OB
This offering is designed to familiarize novice nurses with Perioperative Guidelines as promulgated by AWHONN and to give direction in applying these guidelines in their own practice in order to provide “same standards of care” in the Perinatal Perioperative setting.  The offering will familiarize nurses with the assessment, interventions and evaluations of the Perinatal Perioperative patient, the effects of anesthesia/analgesia on both the mom and the newborn, towards improving the quality of care to every obstetric patient.  (6.6 Contact Hours)  Apr 19 & Sep 20 – taught at MHSW LRC B; min 10 – max 34

RNC Certification Review Offerings
These offerings are broad overviews of obstetrical nursing from antepartum through delivery, postpartum and care of the newborn.  They are designed to confirm areas of knowledge and identify areas where further study may be needed to prepare for the Inpatient Obstetric Nursing Certification Exam and the Maternal Newborn Certification Exam offered by the National Certification Corporation (NCC) and as a professional development course to expand knowledge and skills regarding current obstetrical nursing practice.  Independent study will be encouraged to optimize the lecture portion of the course. (No Contact Hours)  In Pt Jun 1 & Mat NB Jun 15– taught at MHSW Wilson Turner Auditorium; min 10 – max 75

Suggested order and experience level for Fetal Monitoring Courses:
First:  FM 1 – for beginning nurses with minimal fetal monitoring experience
Second:  FM 2 – for nurses with more than 6 months of fetal monitoring experience.
Third:  AWHONN IFMC – for clinicians with close to one year of clinical experience using fetal heart monitoring technology in an intrapartum setting.  Participants with other clinical experiences such as antepartum, postpartum, nursery or with limited intrapartum care may need additional didactic and/or clinical experience before class to gain the required knowledge base.  Participants are expected to assess their own eligibility to participate.  No screening is required.  A clinician who is uncertain should discuss their concerns with the course administrator.
Fourth:  AWHONN AFMC – for clinicians with more than one year fetal monitoring experience.
Fifth:  AWHONN Instructor Course (AWHONN IFMC-IC) – nurses who wish to become an instructor for either the IFMC or the AFMC should have at least 2 years fetal monitoring experience, must be AWHONN members and have passed the most current IFMC.

Fetal Monitoring 1 (FM 1)
Fetal Monitoring 1 is a basic fetal monitoring class designed for the nurse who is new to obstetrics.  This offering uses case studies and strip review to cover the basic concepts of Fetal Monitoring to include different methods of monitoring, FHR baseline, variability, physiology of FHR patterns and associated interventions.  This offering is best suited to audiences whose perinatal nursing experience and exposure to electronic fetal monitoring is 6 months or less and can serve as a base line review for others at any time.  (6.5 Contact Hours)  Feb 20, Jul 12, & Nov 8 – taught at MHSW LRC B; min 10 – max 34

Fetal Monitoring 2 (FM 2)
This offering is an extension of FM 1 and includes NICHD language review as well as FHR genesis and pathophysiology. Instructors use actual fetal monitor strips and case studies to discuss acid/base balance and its effects on the FHR, with an emphasis on abnormal FHR rhythms and arrhythmias. Legal issues surrounding nursing care in the perinatal setting is included, as well as standards of care and documentation. It is a natural progression from FM 1 and is best suited to audiences whose clinical nursing experience exceeds 6 months with more than 6 months experience using the electronic fetal monitor.  (7 Contact Hours)  May 1, Sep 12, & Nov 14 – taught at MHSWLRC B; min 5 – max 34

AWHONN Intermediate Fetal Monitoring Course – 2 Day Workshop (AWHONN IFMC)
This two-day workshop is offered in a standardized format that can be used as a competency assessment to validate the knowledge and skills of experienced clinicians.  Participants should have a minimum of 6 months (preferably more than one year) clinical experience using fetal heart monitoring technology in an intrapartum setting.  Participants with other clinical experiences such as antepartum, postpartum, nursery or with limited intrapartum care experience may need additional didactic and/or clinical experience before class to gain the required knowledge base.  Participants are expected to assess their own eligibility to participate.  A participant who is uncertain should discuss their concerns with the course facilitator.
Participants analyze case scenarios using key physiologic principles covered in the course.  These principles are supported by up to date information contained in the latest version of the Fetal Heart Monitoring Principles and Practices Manual, which must be read before class.  The sessions offer demonstration, practice, and testing of the following skills: auscultation, Leopold’s Maneuvers, placement of an intrauterine pressure catheter and spiral electrode, tracing interpretation, identification of indicated interventions and communication and documentation. (18 Contact Hours)  Mar 27/28; Jul 19/20; Oct 25/26 – taught at the Woman’s Hospital of Texas Classroom C; min 4 – max 24

AWHONN Intermediate Fetal Monitoring Course – Instructor Course (AWHONN IFMC-IC)
Successful nurses who have completed the most current IFMC and who are AWHONN members should consider attending the AWHONN IFMC Instructor Course (IC) which trains qualified nurses to teach the IFMC.  The IC is a one-day offering that focuses on the principles of adult learning and the application of these principles to the IFMC.  Each participant is also required to present an assigned segment from the IFMC during the course.  The course also presents equipment needed and requirements for providing the IFMC.  (8 Contact Hours)  Mar 26; Jul 18; Oct 24 – taught at the Woman’s Hospital of Texas Classroom C; min 2 – max 8

AWHONN’s Advanced Fetal Monitoring Course (AWHONN AFMC)
This 1 day course is designed for the very experienced clinician and focuses on the application of advanced concepts and knowledge of fetal monitoring as they apply to complex maternal-fetal case scenarios.  The course uses lecture, analysis of case studies, and discussion to analyze fetal heart monitoring (FHM) patterns, characteristics, and related information that requires synthesis of key principles pertinent to the physiologic basis of FHM technology, tracing interpretation, intervention, and verbal/written communication skills.  Content includes fetal heart rate (FHR) assessment as a component of individualized, comprehensive care and focuses on antepartum and intrapartum FHM.  While the course builds on knowledge gained from the IFMC, prior completion of that course is not a requirement for AFMC attendance.  However, AWHONN strongly recommends completion of a basic fetal monitoring course prior to attendance.  They also recommend a review of the most current Fetal Heart Monitoring Principles and Practices Manual and the AFMC study guide before attending this course.  (8 contact hours)  Feb 6; Jun 14; Sep 24; Nov 30 – taught at the Woman’s Hospital of Texas Classroom C; min 4 – max 24