Reflective Thinking: May Gaskin - Assignment Example

Evaluation The contributions of Gaskin towards safe motherhood initiatives sensitized Americans about the rising rates of maternal death. In my view, the project was a great success as there was a sharp decline in mortality rates. The teenage pregnancy rate in America is among the highest in the industrialized world. I, however, find her initiatives narrow and one-sided because the focus is on safe delivery and not on safe sex behavior. Analysis Gaskin’s contributions have transformed midwifery into a specialized field of nursing.

We now have more midwives and midwifery training schools. The focus of midwifery is now on prenatal, perinatal and postnatal health of the mother and child. More women are now seeking specialized midwifery services. Nurses can now manage shoulder dystocia competently giving them a greater role. Conclusion Ian May Gaskin transformed midwifery into a specialized distinct field by starting the direct midwifery training. This taught me that nursing could specialize more as a profession to give the nurses a greater role in health care.

Gaskin’s development of Gaskin’s maneuver made me realize that nurses can play a greater role in managing difficult labor because the nurses were viewed to be competent in managing normal labor alone. Action Plan With a good foundation laid by Gaskin, I intend to broaden the focus of midwifery to deal with difficult labor. This will be achieved by the introduction of training modules and workshops for pre-service and in-service midwives on the management of difficult labor. This will ensure that as the numbers of midwives rise, their competency in managing labor is also enhanced.