Maternal and Child Health Nursing II

At the end of this course, the student should be able to: 1. discuss community cultural practices that affect maternal and child health; 2. describe counselling and communication strategies of relevance in maternal and child health services; 3. demonstrate the knowledge of pre, intra and postnatal care focusing on the mother and the baby; 4. demonstrate the knowledge of care of the newborn; 5. discuss strategies and measures to reduce maternal and child mortality in the community; 6. participate in domiciliary practice and family care as necessary; 7. participate in maternal and child health service programmes immunisation, growth monitoring, oral rehydration therapy as necessary; and 8. explain the process and use of data collection and management information system in family planning services.

Concept of community cultural practices. Maternal and child health nursing practice in community settings. Review of the reproductive system in relation to the practice of normal midwifery. The health of the family and the normal needs of the mother, father, foetus and other siblings in the family context. Management of normal pregnancy, labour, puerperium and the care of the baby. Prenatal care/ focused antenatal care. Normal labour. Stages of labour. Normal puerperium. The care of the newborn and newborn environment. Infant nutrition. Discharge, and follow-up. Family care studies as necessary. Domiciliary Midwifery Practice. Role of the nurse. Immunisations - Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI)/ National Programme on Immunisation (NPI). Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT). Physical assessment. Nursing diagnosis. The use of Standing Order and implementation of nursing interventions. Family planning and post-natal exercises. Growth and development of the child. Health education. Growth monitoring. Family planning and infertility. Data collection and management information system in family planning. Record keeping in community practice.