Maternal and Child Health Nursing Overview

Goals and Philosophy of MCN

• MCN focuses on childbearing and childrearing families.
• Healthy adults stem from healthy children.
• Promotes health of childbearing women and families from preconception to adulthood.
• Essential to have preconceptual and prenatal care.
• Continued health supervision and support are needed as children mature.
• Nurse's role involves promoting healthy growth and development throughout the phases.
• The field isn't separated into maternity and child health care, but rather a continuum.

Primary Goal of Maternal and Child Health Nursing Care

• Promote and maintain optimal family health, ensuring optimal childbearing and childrearing cycles.
• Health of each stage impacts the next stage and the family to which the individual belongs.
• Healthy pregnancy leads to healthy children who make a healthy family

MCN Range of Practice

• Pre-conceptual health care
• Care of women during pregnancy (trimesters and puerperium)
• Care of infants (from conception to 6 weeks after birth)
• Care of children from birth to adolescence
• Care in various settings (birthing room, pediatric ICU, home).

Philosophy of MCN

• Family-centered care
• Assessment of both family and individual
• Community-centered care
• Influence of the health community
• Evidence-based practice
• Increased critical knowledge

Role of a Maternal and Child Health Nurse

• Considers the family as a whole and a partner in care
• Advocates for rights of all family members
• Demonstrates independent nursing functions

Standards of MCN Practice

• Promotes health and disease prevention
• Serves as important resource for families
• Respects cultural beliefs
• Encourages developmental stimulation and assesses family strengths
• Encourages early hospital discharge and encourages families to reach out to their community

Standards of Care

• Assessment of patient health data
• Analysis of data to determine diagnosis
• Identifies expected outcomes
• Developing a plan of care for intervention and to obtain expected outcomes

Standards of Professional Performance

• Quality care assessment and evaluation of effectiveness of pediatric nursing practice.
• Evaluations of nursing practice in relation to professional standards and regulations
• Maintaining current knowledge and competency in pediatric nursing
• Contributions to professional development of colleagues and providers
• Ethical determination of actions regarding children and their families
• Collaborating with child, family, and health care providers
• Contribution with nursing and pediatric care through research methods
• Use safety, effectiveness and cost for planning and delivering patient care.

Framework of Maternal and Child Health Nursing

• Four phases of health care (promotion, maintenance, restoration, rehabilitation)
• Nursing process serves as the basis for all assessment, diagnosis, planning, organizing and evaluating of care.
• Evidence-based practice uses various levels of evidence.

Nursing Research

• Controlled investigation of problems related to nursing practice.
• Provides evidence for practice.
• Justifies implementation of activities and improves cost-effective patient care

Nursing Theory

• One of the profession's requirements is a base of established theory for knowledge.
• Nursing theorists offer ways to view clients.
• Viewing the client as a dynamic individual, family member and the factors they face.

MCN Services/Programs in the Philippines

• Safe Motherhood Initiatives
• Prenatal Care
• Child Health Services (Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), Nutrition Programs, Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI))
• Government Initiatives (Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health Nutrition Program and Universal Health Care).

National Health Goals

• Achieving better health outcomes
• Sustained health financing

Three Strategic Thrusts

• Financial risk protection by increasing National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) enrollment
• Improving access to quality hospitals and health care facilities
• Attainment of health-related Millennium Development Goals

Millennium Development Goals (2017)

• Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger
• Achieving universal primary education
• Promoting gender equality and empowering women
• Reducing child mortality
• Improving maternal health
• Combatting HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
• Ensuring environmental sustainability
• Global partnership for development

Sustainable Development Goals (2030)

• No poverty
• Zero hunger
• Good health and well being
• Quality education
• Gender equality
• Clean water and sanitation
• Affordable and clean energy
• Decent work and economic growth
• Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
• Reduced inequalities
• Sustainable cities and communities
• Responsible consumption and production
• Climate action
• Life below water
• Life on land
• Peace, justice, and strong institutions
• Partnerships for the Goals

Measurement of Level of Maternal and Child Health

• Crude Birth Rate (CBR)
• General Fertility Rate (GFR)
• Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)
• Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

Common Family Types

• Family of Procreation
• Family of Orientation
• Free/Childless families
• Cohabitation Families
• Nuclear Families
• Binuclear Families
• Extended Families
• Single-Parent Families
• Blended Families
• LGBTQ+ Families
• Foster Families
• Adoptive Families

Common Family Tasks

• Physical maintenance
• Socialization of family members
• Allocation of resources
• Maintaining order
• Division of labor
• Reproduction
• Recruitment and release of members
• Placement of members into larger society
• Maintenance of motivation and moral

Common Life Stages of Families

• Marriage
• Early childbearing
• Families with preschool children
• School-aged families
• Adolescent children
• Launching stage
• Middle-years families
• Families in retirement

Changes in Patterns of Family Life

• Reduced family size
• Social problems
• Increased divorce rates

Roles and Responsibilities of Maternal and Child Health Nurses

• Health Care Provider
• Health Educator
• Counselor
• Researcher
• Manager of Care
• Clinical Nurse Specialist

Advanced Practice Roles for Nurses in Maternal and Child Health

• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Case Manager
• Nurse Practitioner