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Obstetric Nursing - RN (In-Flight Fall 2024 and prior)

Certificate of Accomplishment | OBD1

Program Overview

This certificate is designed for RNs employed in and/or seeking to advance their practice in obstetric nursing following a holistic, comprehensive model of care. Content spans pregnancy through postpartum and newborn. It includes understanding historical perspectives and current themes, relevant assessments, evidence-informed nursing interventions, and development of collaborative partnerships with obstetrical clients, families, support persons, and other inter-professional team members.

There are opportunities for developing high level critical thinking, care planning, leadership and professional practice skills while exploring personal reflection and ethics. Special attention is paid to current trends in maternity care in diverse hospital and community settings in Canada. This certificate is based on the Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses (CAPWHN) Perinatal nursing standards in Canada and the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) competencies for perinatal nurses. Completion of the certificate academically prepares the learner for the Perinatal Nursing Certification Exam.

Please note that the courses in this certificate need to be taken in a specific order.  Check that you have obtained the necessary pre-requisite prior to registering for a course.  Learners without the necessary pre-requisites will be removed from courses and charged the administrative fee. 

For nurses enrolled in legacy or previous versions of the certificate/theory courses, from March 15, 2022, certificates for legacy programs will no longer be granted. The program advisor can provide information on how to upgrade your certificate to the latest curriculum.

Admission Requirements

  • Registered Nurse (RN)

Academic Partnership with Canadian Nurses Association

Canadian Nurses Association

Additional Information 

New! 

Please be advised that this Obstetric Nursing Certificate will be phased out. The current certificate will not be offered after Winter 2026. 

We will be phasing out the current courses as follows:

Obstetric Nursing - RN

Current Course 

Last Offering

OBST 520

Winter 2025 

OBST 522

Summer 2025 

(7-week course, starts May 2025) 

OBST 523

Summer 2025  

(7-week course starts end of June 2025) 

OBST 524

Fall 2025 

(7-week course, starts Sept 2025) 

OBST 525

Fall 2025

(7-week course, starts end of Oct 2025) 

OBST 608

No Phase Out

OBST 530 (Clinical)

Winter 2026

Please note, OBST 608 will remain unchanged and will continue to be offered because it is also a course within the Lactation Support Certificate.? 

To complete the current certificate, students are encouraged to undertake courses within the timelines above. Students who do not complete the courses within the above timelines will be unable to finish their current Obstetric Nursing certificate.? 

To ensure a smooth transition from coursework to practical application, all learners are required to complete their placement within one year of finishing the required courses. This timeline is essential for maintaining the integrity and relevance of the skills acquired during your studies. We encourage learners to initiate their placement as soon as possible to fully benefit from the hands-on experience.

If you wish to be enrolled in the Obstetric Nursing - RPN certificate program please select “Next Steps” below. 

Next Steps

Certificate Pathway

 

OBST 523 can be taken at any time after OBST 520 and before OBST 530.

OBST 608 can be taken at any time before OBST 530.

 
 

Curriculum

Quick-Look Availability Scheduler

Use the Quick-Look Availability Scheduler to see available courses in a calendar view and plan towards achieving your certificate.

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Course Name 2024/2025 Academic Year 2025/2026 Academic Year 2026/2027 Academic Year
Compulsory Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
OBST 520: Essentials of Pre-Pregnancy and Prenatal Care
OBST 522: Supportive Care in Labour and Birth
OBST 523: Fetal Health Surveillance
OBST 524: Postpartum and newborn: Assessment and initial management
OBST 525: RN - Care of Women and Newborns at Risk
OBST 530: Obstetric Nursing - Clinical Practicum for the RN
OBST 608: Human Milk Feeding Basics

Compulsory Courses

OBST 520 Essentials of Pre-Pregnancy and Prenatal Care
  Start Date: January 2025  
Based upon the Perinatal Nursing Standards in Canada (Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses, [CAPWHN] 2018), the course guides the student to investigate the health and nursing care of individuals and their families during preconception and antenatal periods. A review of anatomy and physiology will be included. Both strengths and challenges will be considered for the childbearing family across diverse settings. Students will be encouraged to critically examine their own beliefs about topics in this course while exploring common physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychosocial adaptations in low risk pregnancies

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OBST 522 Supportive Care in Labour and Birth
 
Based upon the Perinatal Nursing Standards in Canada (Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses, [CAPWHN] 2018), this course prepares the RN to think critically about the experience of labour and birth. This will advance the ability to support the child-bearing individual and newborn at low risk, and the family, through the labour and birth experience. There is a focus on the stages of labour, supportive care, complications and interventions associated with labour and birth including grief and loss, and the immediate recovery period. Students will be encouraged to critically examine their own beliefs about topics in this course while exploring physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychosocial adaptations in low risk labour and birth including common challenges in childbirth.

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OBST 523 Fetal Health Surveillance
 
Registered Nurses (RNs) examine the fundamental concepts of fetal health surveillance appropriate to the antepartum and intrapartum periods. RNs utilize Clinical Practice Guidelines developed by the Fetal Health Surveillance working group and approved by the Board of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses (CAPWHN). RNs explore relevant fetal and maternal anatomy and physiology, criteria for methods of fetal health surveillance, and related equipment. RNs discuss terminology related to classification, practise interpretation of data, and outline appropriate responses. With emphasis on communication with the interprofessional team RNs develop skills to advocate for a safe, family-centred pregnancy and labour and birth experience.

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OBST 524 Postpartum and newborn: Assessment and initial management
  Start Date: January 2025  
Based upon the Perinatal Nursing Standards in Canada (Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses, [CAPWHN] 2018), this course prepares the RN and RPN to think critically about the nurse’s role in the postpartum period including care of the childbearing person, newborn, and family following birth. There is a focus on physiological and psychosocial assessment and interpretation of data, supportive care, interventions, and health teaching associated with the postpartum period. Nurses will be encouraged to critically examine their own beliefs about topics in this course while exploring physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychosocial adaptations following birth for the childbearing person, newborn, and family.

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OBST 525 RN - Care of Women and Newborns at Risk
 

Based upon the Perinatal Nursing Standards in Canada (Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses, [CAPWHN] 2018), the course guides the student to investigate the health and nursing care of individuals and their families from pregnancy through the postpartum period. Both strengths and challenges will be considered for the childbearing family across diverse settings. Students will be encouraged to critically examine their own beliefs about topics in this course while exploring common physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychosocial adaptations in high-risk pregnancies. 

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OBST 530 Obstetric Nursing - Clinical Practicum for the RN
  Start Date: January 2025  

The registered nurse participates in this clinical course and applies theoretical principles and knowledge within the acute perinatal clinical setting. The registered nurse demonstrate safe and professional practice at the novice level in both the labour and birth unit and in the postpartum unit. The registered nurse follows the Perinatal Nursing Standards in Canada (Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses, [CAPWHN] 2018) and central concepts that underpin perinatal nursing of the Canadian Nurses’ Association. By establishing relationships with the pregnant person and neonate at low risk and the family, the registered nurse will facilitate communication, assessment, and education skills with families from diverse backgrounds in varied hospital settings. The registered nurse collaborates effectively with Humber College faculty and members of the health care facility in this preceptored, clinical course and reflects daily upon learning opportunities.

The Obstetric Nursing-RN clinical is 150 hours (half in Labour and Birth and half in Postpartum) and must be completed within a 3-month term. Nurses are required to do two shifts weekly following their preceptor’s schedule.  

Step 1: Start your clinical placement application process by completing this Clinical Placement Request Form. Once we receive this form, we will add your name to the clinical waitlist and send you detailed information about the clinical placement process. Your placement requests will be submitted to the hospitals for the next term according to the placement request submission deadline. The placement requests are submitted three months in advance.

Step 2: Once you have submitted your Clinical Placement Request Form, please start working on the Health Clearance requirements, which may take three months to obtain

Note: You will be notified to register for the Clinical Course
  • Once we have secured your clinical placement and
  • You have successfully completed all the pre-requisite courses and
  • You have emailed all the health clearance requirements to the Humber Health Clearance Office.

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OBST 608 Human Milk Feeding Basics
  Start Date: January 2025  

Learners critically examine their knowledge base, attitudes, and biases regarding infant feeding and learn about the significance of the WHO Code & Baby Friendly Initiative. Students also learn how to assess and manage common concerns with human milk feeding in the initial postpartum period. Emphasis will be placed on effective communication skills and the impact of social support for the infant and family, and on promoting self-efficacy in infant feeding. This course is based upon the Canadian Nurses’ Association competencies, the Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses (CAPWHN), Public Health Agency of Canada, and the clinical competencies of the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners.

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Contact Us

Humber Continuous Professional Learning Health Sciences & Wellness
cplhealthsciences@humber.ca
416.675.6622 ext. 4554


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