Nancy L Van Devanter

Abstract

Despite over 40 years of research there has been little progress in the prevention of obstetric fistula and women continue to suffer in unacceptable numbers. Gender power imbalance has consistently been shown to have serious implications for women's reproductive health and is known to persist in regions where obstetric fistula occurs. Yet, there is limited research about the role gender power imbalance plays in childbirth practices that put women at risk for obstetric fistula. This information is vital for developing effective maternal health interventions in regions affected by obstetric fistula.

Abstract

The discipline of nursing continues to evolve in keeping with the dramatic expansion of scientific knowledge, technology, and a concomitant increase in complexity of patient care in all practice settings. Changing patient demographics require complex planning for co-morbidities associated with chronic diseases and life-saving advances that have altered mortality in ways never before imagined. These changes in practice, coupled with findings from sophisticated nursing research and the continuous development of new nursing knowledge, call for realignments of the relationships among academic faculty in schools of nursing, advanced practice nurse administrators, and staff nurses at the forefront of practice. This article offers a model designed to bridge the gaps among academic settings, administrative offices and the euphemistic "bedsides" where staff nurses practice. Here we describe the nurse attending model in place at the New York University Langone Medical Center (NYULMC) and provide qualitative data that support progress in our work.