OBSTETRIC AND

GYNECOLOGY NURSING

BY: Tesfay G.
(MSc in maternity &RH)

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 UNIT ONE

Introduction to obstetrics & gynecology

nursing

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 OUTLINE

• Definition
• Historical development of Obstetrics
• Magnitude of maternal health problem in Ethiopia
• Importance of Gynecology & Obstetrics Nursing
• Terminologies

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 Objectives

At the end of this session, the students will be able

to:
• Define obstetric and gynecology nursing
• Describe obstetric historical development
• Explain common maternal problem in Ethiopia
• Explain merits of obstetric and gynecology nursing
• Explain common terminologies

4
 Brain storming
• What is obstetric and gynecology nursing?
• Discuss trend & causes of maternal death in Ethiopia

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Definition:
1. Obstetrics: the branch of medicine that deals
with the care of women during pregnancy and
childbirth, and for some six weeks following
delivery
2. Obstetric nursing : is perinatal nursing.
– is a nursing specialty that works with
patients who are attempting to become
pregnant, are currently pregnant, or are
recently delivered.

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Defn…
• Obstetrical nurses help provide prenatal care and
testing, care of patients experiencing pregnancy
complications, care during labor and delivery, and
care of patients following delivery.
Defn…
Gynecology:
– the branch of medicine that deals with women's
health, especially with the health of women's
reproductive system and the breast.
– dealing with diseases of the genital tract in
women
– the study of diseases of the female reproductive
organs, including the breasts.
– greeck word gyne = women, logia= study. so, it
is the Study of women.
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• Care of childbearing and childrearing families has
become a major focus of nursing practice today.
• To have healthy children, it is important to promote
the health of the childbearing women and her family
from the time before children are born until they
reach adulthood
• Prenatal care and guidance is essential to the health
of women and fetus and to the emotional
preparation of a family for child bearing.

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 Historical development of obstetrics
• Usually women have cared for other child bearing women
through out much of human history.

• The first recorded obstetric practices are found in Egyptian

records dating back to 1500 B.C

• Practices such as vaginal examination and the use of birth aids

are referred to in writings from the Greek and Roman empires

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The earliest birth attendants were women. Especially
her mothers and relatives.

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Coaches during 18th century

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21th century

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Delivery

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 Importance of Obstetrics and Gynecology nursing

• Ensuring healthy antenatal period followed by

a safe normal delivery with a healthy child.

• Prompt and efficient cares during obstetrical

emergencies

• also prevent so many of complications.

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Cont…
• Equip the nurse with the knowledge of anatomy
and physiology of reproductive organ .

• Equip With knowledge of obstetric drugs

• Develop skills in antenatal care and be able to

detect any abnormality, recognize and prevent
complications.

• Select high risk cases for hospital delivery and

provide health education.
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 Magnitude of Maternal Health problem in
Ethiopia
• The term ‘maternal mortality corresponds to the
term ‘pregnancy-related mortality.
• Pregnancy-related death is ‘the death of a
woman while pregnant or within 42 days of
termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the
cause of death.
• Maternal mortality is one of the health indicator
which shows the burden of disease and death.

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 Trends in pregnancy-related mortality
ratio (PRMR) with confidence intervals

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 Cont…
• Modern contraceptive use:
– among currently married Ethiopian women 35% in
2016.
• Antenatal care(ANC) : has increased from 27% in
2000 to 34% in 2011, and 62% in 2016. 32% of
women had at least four ANC visits during their
last pregnancy.

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Trend of ANC utilization in Ethiopia
 Cont…
• Delivery: Institutional deliveries have increased from
– 5% in 2000,
– 10% in 2011,
– 26% in 2016.
• During the same period, home deliveries decreased
from 95% in 2000 to 90% in 2011, and 73% in 2016.
• Postnatal care: 17% of women and 13% of
newborns received a postnatal check within the first
2 days of birth.

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 Obstetric causes for maternal
mortality
• Hemorrhage
• Sepsis
• Obstructed labour
• Abortion
• PIH

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 Common Gynecological abbreviations &
definitions of terms
• Obstetrics - the branch of medicine dealing with
pregnancy, labour & puerperium
• Gynaecology - the branch of medicine which treats
diseases of the female genital tract.
• Conception & fertilization - the union of a single egg
& sperm in the bench mark of the beginning of
pregnancy. This event does not occur in isolation

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Terms…
• Pregnancy
– the condition of having a developing embryo or
fetus with in the body.
– The state from conception to delivery of the fetus.
– the normal duration is 280 days counted from the
1st day of last menstrual period.
 Terms…
• Gravidity: - All forms of pregnancy term, live births,
still birth, abortion, ectopic, molar pregnancy.
• Primigravidia: - first time pregnant
• Multigravida: - two or more pregnancies
Terms…
• Parity- number of fetus delivered after 28 weeks of
gestation for Ethiopia
• Nullipara: - who has not given birth to a child
• Primiparas - a women having borne one child
• Multipara: - who has given two or more birth to a
child.
• Grand multipara: - who has given birth five times or
more.

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Terms….
• LNMP- last normal menstrual period
• EDD - expected date of delivery
• Amenorrhea- cessation of menstruation
• Dysmenorrhea- pain during menstruation
• Dyspareunia – pain during sexual intercourse
• Hirsutism- abnormal hair growth

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Terms …
Trimester – 3 months of pregnancy
3 Trimesters of Equal Length-
– 1st- Conception to 14 weeks
– 2nd- 14-28 weeks
– 3rd- 28-42 weeks
• Term pregnancy requires completion of at least
37 weeks.

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 Terms…
• Prenatal - occurring before birth
• Intranatal - occurring with in birth
• Postnatal - occurring after birth
• Labour - is the process of child birth which takes place
in three stages.
- 1st stage - from starting of uterine contraction to
full dilatation of the cx
- 2nd stage - from full dilatation of cx to expulsion of
the fetus
- 3rd stage - from expulsion of the fetus to expulsion
of placent.

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 Abbreviation
• Cx = cervix
• Ef = effacement
• PV = per vagina
• PR = per rectum
• ANC = antenatal care
• INC = Intranatal care
• PNC = Postnatal care

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• APH = Ante partum hemorrhage
• ARM = Artificial rupture of membrane
• PPH = Post partum hemorrhage
• CCT = Controlled cord traction
• D & C = Dilatation & curettage
• ECV = External cephalic version
• EDD = Expected date of delivery
• LMP = Last menstrual period
• SVD = Spontaneous vaginal delivery
• PID = pelvic inflammatory disease
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• FHB = Fetal hear beat
• IUFD = Intra utrine fetal death
• CPD = Cephalo pelvic disproportion
• PIH = Peregnancy induced hyperatansion
• ARM = Artificial rupture of membrane
• SB = Still birth
• IUCD = Intrautine contraceptive device

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 Thank you !

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