The “Labor Support” elective course in TCU Nursing teaches students interested in a career in women’s health about a wider range of
topics related to birth. Labor support involves a person who is present only for the
mother and their partner and focuses on the needs of the individual woman and not
on the medical side of care. This includes supporting her physically, emotionally,
mentally, with information and advocacy.
Students learn concepts focused on birth outcomes, and labor support which includes assignments geared toward gaining a deeper understanding of the patient experience.
Some of these concepts include birth trauma, birth plans, labor support benefits, cultural influence on birth, maternal morbidity and mortality, and how nurses can help their patients have a positive experience with nonpharmacological techniques.
Students are provided with the students with the tools they need to support patients, including tension balls, lotion, speakers for soothing music, aromatherapy patches and a workbook of possible physical support techniques using birthing and peanut balls.
“Labor support is not yet well-understood by the general public including the benefits such as shorter labor time, positive birth experience, greater chance of vaginal birth versus cesarean birth,” explains Assistant Professor in Nursing Lisette Saleh, Ph.D., MSN, RNC-OB.
Completion of this course during the senior I semester allows nursing students to put the information and techniques they’re learning into practice during the final semester course “Transition to Practice” (TTP).
“This elective not only strengthened my educational foundation but also fostered a sense of empathy and compassion. It was a transformative experience that I believe every nursing student interested in women’s services should have the opportunity to participate in,” said Lauren Berlin ’24.
The students practice nursing and labor support care on a labor and delivery unit
at Texas Health Resources in Fort Worth, an asset of Harris College’s namesake, Harris Methodist Health System, providing continuous bedside labor support as a
service to patients free of charge, providing a positive birth experience that is
woman-centric and empowering.
This course is executed in partnership with local hospitals to provide a beneficial service free to patients, allowing students work alongside labor and delivery nurses as part of the health care team providing labor support, many times when nurses are not always able to due to staffing and time.
“During my first TTP shift in labor and delivery, my preceptor and I implemented labor support techniques throughout the day,” explained Berlin. “It was incredible to see the positions that we learned in class being used in the clinical setting.”
Students who have completed the course gain a sense of confidence in providing hands on and emotional support skills and see how these techniques positively impact the patients they provide care for in the hospital setting.
“Maternity is an entirely different skill set than most other specialties, and this course aided my hands-on learning and fostered a great learning environment to work with peers through interactive activities and encouraging discussions,” said Hannah Jacob ’24. “I feel much more confident and am excited to begin my transition to practice.”
Going into this semester I had no idea what specialty I was interested in pursuing,” explains Jacob, “and the labor support elective helped me discover my heart for women’s services and desire to become a labor and delivery nurse.”