Introduction
Maternal health nursing is one of the most important nursing practices currently developed. This type of nursing helps mothers to build the proper system of interactions between themselves and their newborn children. Such practice is essential for the institution of family and society in general. That is why it is important to carefully study maternal health nursing; therefore, this work will discuss the theory and practice of this type of nursing.
Maternal Role-Attainment Theory and Parent-Child Interaction Model
The general concept of the nursing meta-paradigm consists of four major parts: person, health, environment, and nursing (McKinney, James, Murray, & Nelson, 2013). The personal aspect is about interactions with both patients and their families. The health aspect consists of both the physical and mental well-being of the patient but also deals with the willingness of patients to seek medical assistance. The environment part covers all of the external factors that can affect a patient’s treatment, such as location or social status. And the nursing part is about knowledge, practice, and skills required for nursing staff.
When defining nursing meta-paradigm through maternal role-attainment theory or parent-child interaction model, researchers emphasize different aspects of this meta-paradigm (Husmillo, 2013). Both maternal role attainment and parent-child interactions are severely dependent on communications between parents and children, but maternal role-attainment theory emphasizes direct interactions between the mother and the child. Regarding the nursing aspect, nursing techniques will be different; maternal role-attainment theory encourages nurses to participate in the education of mothers proactively, while the parent-child interaction model is more about analysis and monitoring.
Influences on Maternal Role Identity
Maternal role identity is heavily influenced by a person’s social surroundings (McKinney et al., 2014). The dynamics between the mother and the father govern the mother’s approach to parenting. Her knowledge about peers who also gave birth can shape her views on childbirth. Even her experience as a child with her mother can change her perspective on motherhood. Giving birth is stressful, especially if it is the first time; it brings confusion and hardship. So it is understandable when mothers try to rely on their social circles to develop their vision of parenting.
Important Characteristics in Parent-Child Relationship
Characteristics that can influence the parent-child relationship will be the ones that the parent uses in his direct communications with his child (Husmillo, 2013). Patience will be especially important since it works as a core element of healthy relationships with any child. Straightforwardness can influence these interactions in both positive and negative ways. Directness can be intimidating for a kid, but can also help to better convey emotions. Strictness is forceful, but important characteristic, because proper parental authority is essential for the development of a child’s psyche.
Microsystem, Mesosystem, and Macrosystem in Provided Case Study
In the provided case study, the microsystem plays the role of direct caregiving. I, as an advanced practice nurse, will be a part of the microsystem. In this scenario, the mesosystem is the relevant information that can influence the treatment of the patient, such as her history of post-partum depression. The macrosystem is the medical staff that put all of the information together and helped to define the vital parts of this data in the case study.
Conclusion
Maternal health nursing is an important nurse practice. It is a very complex subject, with a lot of practical and theoretical studies behind it. It covers both the development of the mother and her interactions with the child; therefore, this nursing practice relies heavily on the emotional aspect of caregiving. Maternal health nursing is a multi-layered structure, influenced by clinical microsystem, mesosystem, and macrosystem.
References
Husmillo, M. (2013). Maternal Role Attainment Theory. International Journal of Childbirth Education, 28(2), 46-48.
McKinney, E. S., James, S. R., Murray, S. S., & Nelson, K. (2013). Maternal-child nursing (4th ed.). Missouri, MO: Elsevier Health Sciences.