Skills for Midwifery Practice

1. Principles of abdominal examination: during pregnancy and labour

2. Principles of abdominal examination: during the postnatal period

3. Assessment of maternal and neonatal vital signs: temperature measurement

4. Assessment of maternal and neonatal vital signs: pulse measurement

5. Assessment of maternal and neonatal vital signs: blood pressure measurement

6. Assessment of maternal and neonatal vital signs: respiration

7. Assessment of maternal and neonatal vital signs: neurological assessment

8. Principles of infection control: standard precautions

9. Principles of infection control: hand hygiene

10. Principles of infection control: principles of asepsis

11. Principles of infection control: obtaining swabs

12. Principles of hygiene needs: for the woman

13. Principles of hygiene needs: for the baby

14. Principles of elimination management: micturition and catheterization

15. Principles of elimination management: urinalysis

16. Principles of elimination management: defaecation

17. Principles of elimination management: obtaining urinary and stool specimens

18. Principles of drug administration: legal aspects, pharmacokinetics and anaphylaxis

19. Principles of drug administration: oral administration

20. Principles of drug administration: injection technique

21. Principles of drug administration: administration of medicines per vaginam

22. Principles of drug administration: administration of medicines per rectum

23. Principles of drug administration: intravenous drug administration

24. Principles of drug administration: inhalational analgesia: Entonox

25. Principles of drug administration: epidural analgesia

26. Principles of drug administration: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

27. Facilitation of skills related to childbearing: optimal fetal positioning

28. Facilitation of skills related to childbearing: Cusco speculum use

29. Facilitation of skills related to childbearing: membrane sweep

30. Principles of intrapartum skills: first-stage issues

31. Principles of intrapartum skills: second-stage issues

32. Principles of intrapartum skills: third-stage issues

33. Principles of intrapartum skills: examination of the placenta

34. Principles of intrapartum skills: perineal repair

35. Principles of intrapartum skills: management of birth at home

36. Principles of intrapartum skills: management of labour and birth in water

37. Assessment of the baby: assessment at birth

38. Assessment of the baby: daily examination

39. Assessment of the baby: capillary sampling

40. Assessment of the baby: developmental dysplasia of the hips

41. Principles of infant nutrition: breastfeeding

42. Principles of infant nutrition: cup feeding

43. Principles of infant nutrition: decontamination of feeding equipment

44. Principles of infant nutrition: formula feeding

45. Principles of infant nutrition: nasogastric feeding

46. Principles of phlebotomy and intravenous therapy: maternal venepuncture

47. Principles of phlebotomy and intravenous therapy: intravenous cannulation

48. Principles of phlebotomy and intravenous therapy: intravenous infusion

49. Principles of phlebotomy and intravenous infusion: blood transfusion

50. Principles of manual handling

51. Principles of perioperative skills

52. Principles of wound management: healing and care

53. Principles of restricted mobility management: pressure area care

54. Principles of restricted mobility management: prevention of venous thromboembolism

55. Principles of cardiopulmonary resuscitation: maternal resuscitation

56. Principles of cardiopulmonary resuscitation: neonatal resuscitation

57. Glossary

Skills for Midwifery Practice is the go-to book for all midwifery students who need to learn what to do in a range of situations, how to perform a skill, and why they need to do it in a certain way.

Written by midwifery educators Ruth Johnson and Wendy Taylor, the book makes learning easy with background information, learning outcomes, helpful diagrams and lists to represent the skill flow. It explains the underlying physiology associated with pregnancy and childbirth, and clearly defines the nature and extent of current practice.

This version is fully updated and referenced throughout to provide a detailed evidence base to support learning and further study. It is ideal for midwives in training, qualified midwives returning to practice, as well as other members of the obstetric healthcare team.

• Clear and logical – easy to follow and understand for training midwives
• Accurate, up-to-date evidence base that is relevant to contemporary midwifery practice
• Each skill contextualized with background, indications and contraindications to support both clinical practice and study
• Learning objectives and end-of-chapter self-assessment exercises allow readers to monitor their progress

• Latest guidelines and standards
• New information on resuscitation and other emergencies
• Now in full color throughout

By Ruth Johnson, BA(Hons) RGN RM, Supervisor of Midwives Formerly Senior Lecturer Midwifery, University of Hertfordshire, now Clinical Midwife in the UK and Wendy Taylor, BSc (Hons) MSc RN RM, Formerly Senior Lecturer Midwifery, University of Hertfordshire, now Clinical Midwifery Educator in Whangarei, New Zealand