Midwife as Surgical First Assistant is an expanded practice area for the CNM and CM. The midwife who serves as first assistant in surgery functions as a perinatal and birth professional in the perioperative setting. The workshop’s focus is on applying current evidence so midwives can participate and provide continuity of care for clients during a cesarean section. In this course, you will learn core knowledge and skills needed to perform as the surgical first assistant for cesarean, at a novice level.
This course is designed specifically for midwives and addresses the promotion of vaginal birth, shared decision-making and informed consent, and functioning as an active member of the perioperative team. Attendees learn how to perform immediate pre-op preparation of the client for surgery, and during surgery provide optimal surgical exposure, participate in tissue dissection, ensure hemostasis, perform or facilitate wound closure, and perform other intraoperative functions to assist the surgeon in carrying out a safe operation that optimizes outcomes.