AWHONN Insights Podcast: The Joint Commission: New Standards for Perinatal Safety

Toni Swinton has more than 20 years of experience in nursing. After receiving her BSN, Toni embarked on a professional nursing career that included a primary emphasis in inpatient obstetrics, as well as perioperative nursing. Ms. Swinton also holds both her MSN and DNP as a Women’s Health Clinical Nurse Specialist, and currently practices as a director of clinical education in Austin, Texas. This role allows Toni to intentionally design her clinical practice in a manner that optimizes clinician competency at every phase of their career, while also supporting perinatal patient safety and quality improvement initiatives to optimize outcomes for mothers and newborns across central Texas. Toni also supports education and certification initiatives for perinatal nurses nationally through volunteer activities with both the National Certification Corporation and the Association for Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

Dr. Salera-Vieira is the Director of Clinical Program Development at the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, and a Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist from Rhode Island who is an author and speaker focusing on safety issues in the perinatal setting. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work (from the University of New Hampshire) and in Nursing (from Rhode Island College), a Master of Science in nursing from the University of Rhode Island, as well as a post-Masters Certificate as a Perinatal Nurse Specialist from the University of Washington, Seattle. In addition, she received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Rhode Island College. Dr. Salera-Vieira’s background includes both clinical and perinatal leadership roles in high-risk and community hospitals, and adjunct faculty for undergraduate and graduate students.  She is an AWHONN Designated Instructor in Intermediate and Advanced Electronic Fetal Monitoring, and holds certifications from NCC in Inpatient Obstetrics, Fetal Monitoring, and Obstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety.

Dr. Susan Hale achieved an Associate’s in Nursing from CCAC Boyce Campus; a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing; a Master of Science in Nursing from Benedictine University; and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Chamberlain College of Nursing. She is certified in External Fetal Monitoring and inpatient obstetrics. She is an AWHONN Fetal Monitor, Obstetric Patient Safety, and a Neonatal Resuscitation Instructor. Dr. Hale is the Clinical Program Development Manager at AWHONN and a DNP Mentor at Capella University. Her clinical career has been in obstetric and neonatal care. Dr. Hale was recipient of the Ohio March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Award; Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Clinical Excellence Award; and was a nominee for the Health Care Worker of the Year by the Ohio Hospital Association. She has completed several professional presentations, co-authored the AWHONN Perioperative Care of the Pregnant Woman Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline, and served as a Reviewer for the AWHONN Standards for Professional Nursing Practice (8th ed.). Memberships include AWHONN and the Ohio Action Coalition. While an AWHONN member, Dr. Hale served as the Chair of Communications for the AWHONN Ohio Section as well as Section Chair; a member of various committees; Chair of the Membership Committee; Team Lead for the AWHONN Nursing Care of the Women Receiving Regional Analgesia/Anesthesia in Labor Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline;  Corresponding Member to AWHONN’s 2019 Convention Program Committee; and Champion/Lead for the AWHONN Ohio Diaper Drive.