The obstetrics scope of practice of master's prepared FNPs.

Ninety-four family nurse practitioners provided information about the extent of their obstetrics practice within the general activity categories of: diagnosing and managing normal pregnancy; diagnosing and managing problems in pregnancy; parent education during pregnancy; labor and delivery management; neonatal management and evaluation; and post-partum evaluation of the mother. Analysis of the results revealed that respondents provided education-related care more frequently than the management aspects of problem pregnancies, labor and delivery and neonatal care. Routine prenatal care--diagnosing pregnancy, counseling and referral of unwanted pregnancy, examining the pregnant woman, ordering and interpreting laboratory work, fundal measurement--was also more frequently carried out than were the other activity categories. In addition, more obstetrical work was done by individuals working in health departments than those in hospital outpatient clinics, and individuals titled family nurse practitioner diagnosed and managed normal pregnancies more frequently than those who had other titles.