A challenging time in the history of lamaze international: an interview with francine nichols.

Dr. Francine Nichols-President of Lamaze International from 1988 to 1991 (when the organization was known as "the American Society for Psychoprophylaxis in Obstetrics" or "ASPO/Lamaze") and the founding editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education in 1990-is a woman with many skills that have contributed to her success throughout her career. Dr. Nichols is a knowledgeable leader in maternal-newborn nursing, a respected nurse and childbirth educator, a researcher, and an author. However, these skills were not the abilities she relied upon the most to lead the Lamaze organization through a challenging period in the 1980s; rather, Dr. Nichols's tenacity, business savvy, and willingness to face controversy helped guide Lamaze International back on track so that it was able to grow into the strong organization it remains today. This interview took place by telephone on June 12, 2006, when Dr. Nichols was in Washington, D.C., for the summer to coordinate the National Institute of Nursing Research's Summer Genetics Institute, a doctoral-level course cosponsored by Georgetown University.