Advance Fetal Monitoring
 

Course Description
This one day workshop earns 12 contact hours and 10.0 CME. Contact hour credit includes independent study in preparation for the workshop.

Building on skills gained in the Intermediate FHM Course, this course conveys the application of advanced fetal heart monitoring knowledge and skills in intrapartum nursing practice. Using a case study approach to focus on the analysis of complicated FHM patterns/characteristics and related case information, this course emphasizes the following:

• Underlying maternal-fetal physiology
• Instrumentation
• Interpretation
• Intervention
• Verbal and written communication skills
• Risk management principles

Successful completion of written examinations is required to complete the course and earn continuing education credit. Participants who attend the full workshop and successfully pass the skills and written tests earn 12 contact hours of continuing education credit or 10.0 CME. No partial credit is awarded.

Expected Level of Learner
This course is designed for registered nurses who successfully complete the Intermediate FHM Course, a comparable fetal heart monitoring workshop, and/or are certified in fetal heart monitoring. To pass, participants are expected to review Fetal Heart Monitoring Principles & Practices, 4th Ed.

Participants are expected to already possess basic knowledge and related skills learned in these areas during the Intermediate FHM Course:

• Maternal physiologic changes of pregnancy
• Fetal growth and development
• Methods of fetal monitoring
• Preparation of patient for set-up and initiation of external or internal fetal monitoring
• Obtaining and maintaining tracings that document fetal heart rate and uterine contractions
• Interpretation of uterine contraction frequency, duration, and baseline resting tone
• Identification of the baseline fetal heart rate, variability and deviations
• Indicated clinical interventions
• Communication and documentation standards  

In addition to the above knowledge and skills, participants are also expected to have basic knowledge and related skills in these areas:

• Maternal physiologic changes of pregnancy related to intrapartum complications such as uterine rupture, abruptio placentae, placenta previa, and fetal-maternal hemorrhage.
• Methods of advanced fetal monitoring such as pulse oximetry and computerized charting.
• Identification of complex fetal heart rate monitoring patterns such as confusing patterns, combined patterns, dysrhymias, arrhythmias, and sinusoidal patterns.