Midwifery and nursing issues in the intensive care setting

Abstract

Introduction The admission of a critically ill pregnant or postpartum woman to an intensive care unit (ICU) provides unique challenges to nursing staff for a variety of reasons. The physiological adaptations of pregnancy underscore a different set of “what is normal.” Obstetric conditions that ICU staff may be unfamiliar with, nursing needs unique to this population, such as checking the fundus and supporting the establishment of lactation, and the presence of the fetus, all contribute to making the pregnant and postpartum woman a challenge. Similarly, midwives and obstetric nurses may find caring for critically ill pregnant and postpartum women testing given the potential instability of eac..