The intensity of the legal climate and the focus on standards of practice in the obstetric setting have forced nurses to carefully scrutinize clinical techniques. The use of fundal pressure during the second stage of labor is a cause of great concern for many obstetric nurses. A nationwide pilot study was conducted to determine whether fundal pressure application is an accepted part of nursing practice in contemporary obstetrics. Sixty-two of the respondents (84%) used fundal pressure during the second stage of labor in their institutions.

Delivery, Obstetric↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Acoustic stimulation-induced fetal response compared to traditional nonstress testing.

Eighty-eight nonstress tests (NSTs) were obtained on gravid women between 27 and 44 weeks' gestation to compare the results of a three-second acoustic stimulus with a traditional NST. Length of testing time was significantly decreased with the use of acoustic stimulation. Consequently, nursing time and equipment use were also considerably lessened per test. Previous studies indicated that the predictive value of the acoustic stimulation test is comparable or better than the traditional NST.

Acoustic Stimulation↗