[at your cervix]

Every room is full, you empty one room and two patients come in..you know the kind of day...then, a doc calls and tells you that he has a patient that's scheduled for a c-section in three days but she's in labor now...and here's where the real fun begins.

This "laboring" patient (with contractions every 20 min and a thick, closed cervix) arrives with her entire extended family. I ask them to step out while I admit the patient and prepare her for her c-section. A few of them leave but then trickle back in within a few seconds. I ask the patient who her support person will be in the OR-since it's not obvious from the numerous people in the room. She begins naming off people and I stop her at five (she has eight people in the room and so far she's been pointing them out in a clockwise manner) and tell her that for safety and infection control reasons (if not pure lack of space) she can only take one person into the OR with her. She and the entire family now jumps all over me because "the doctor said we can take whoever we want in." I have to politely explain to them that the doctor does not have any say over visitors in the OR-it's a hosptial issue. The CRNA comes in and agrees to allow two people in. Now the entire family is fighting over who will be the second person (would have been easier to limit it to one.) Now, the mother comes out and informs me that she and the husband will be going in, but "we will need a nurse to film it because Aunt Betty was going to but now you won't let her in." I tell her that the nurses in the room have duties related to the surgery that they must fulfill and that they are welcome to take a video camera in but they will have to video tape it. She then says that there is no way they can film because they want to watch so we need an extra nurse to come in. I explain to her that we are very busy today and do not have an extra nurse to go in and again tell her that she is welcome to film it.

OK so they finally go back and we have to virtually physically restrain the family members who continually attempt to "wander" into the OR and refuse to wait in the waiting room-they must be in the hall the entire time.

This whole time I am also the charge nurse and have another labor patient. Every nurse on the floor has a huge patient load. We run around all day long.

So, a half hour before the end of my shift I finally have time to sit down and chart and one of the babies will not stop crying and mom is trying to take a nap and refuses to have the (breastfeeding) baby returned to her room. I am able to soothe the baby a little by holding her. So, I am holding a baby and charting and a visitor walks by and says "what a great job you have, you just get to sit around and hold babies all day."

She is LUCKY I didn't rip her face off!!!

OK, go ahead and vent here-we all need it now and then!

[santhony44]

Personally, I've never grasped the concept of childbirth as a spectator event. If you weren't there at the conception, I didn't want you there for the delivery, unless you were medically necessary.

I know not everyone sees it that way, and that's OK with me. However, in the case of a c-section, you would think that there would be some rudimentary understanding of the necessity of sterility.

[allthingsbright]

I love, love, love that our hospital has a "3 support people in the room" policy. That's the same three people, period. LOVE IT!!! (And yes, the pts and families hate it, but it is a wonderful thing, I must say!)

Sorry you had a crappy day! *hugs*

[canoehead]

Whan I worked OB I seriously asked the NM if we could install chain locks on the doors so family could request to come in, but couldn't just wander around. We need to have some control over room traffic when the patient's hoo-hoo is hanging open to air, let alone all the issues with complications and equipment access. LOCKS! good for every OB unit!

[carebearRN08]

Originally Posted by at your cervix

So, a half hour before the end of my shift I finally have time to sit down and chart and one of the babies will not stop crying and mom is trying to take a nap and refuses to have the (breastfeeding) baby returned to her room. I am able to soothe the baby a little by holding her. So, I am holding a baby and charting and a visitor walks by and says "what a great job you have, you just get to sit around and hold babies all day."

She is LUCKY I didn't rip her face off!!!

OK, go ahead and vent here-we all need it now and then!

Oh how I would have loved to just laugh in that woman's face.

[Michigan RN]

I'm sorry but if I ever have a baby, there will only be me, my husband, my mom, the doc and the nurses. I'm not having twenty people watch me.

[htrn]

Isn't amazing how EVERYONE thinks they have the God given right to be anywhere they damn well please when a baby is being born!!! I agree with the PP that want's locks on the doors - yes please.

I had co-workers give me the evil eye when the hear me tell families - "I can't allow you to stand/sit in the hall way. If the **** hits the fan and we have to come flying out of here like bats out of hell you and your family may be hurt by my coworkers plowing into you or running you over with equipment or a bed." My colleagues couldn't believe I would say that, but the family would sit in the waiting room.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to prove my point.

[babyktchr]

OMG...how much is this my life????? I am constantly in this situation and just wander around most days LOOKING for someone to beat. We have a strict 3 support person rule for L&D and a ONE person rule for the OR. We now have entrance doors located in the beginning of our hallway, and folks have to be "buzzed" in to gain entry. Now let me tell you that the buzzer has found new cranial nerves to pluck, but at least once I get those people beyond the doors, they aren't under my feet. I am also one of THOSE nurse who stand by the rules and all but get a broom to shoo them out.

I feel for you honey....but thank you for sharing your day, and your humor.

[squeakykitty]

I sure wouldn't want an audience myself.

[jhhrn68]

I have certainly had days like that. We have that strict rule of only 2 visitors at the bedside when a pt. is in labor and a total of 5 visitors - 2 at the bedside and 3 in the waiting room and they can switch off. Most of the time, the pt. will show up for her induction at 11 PM with all her friends and relatives, including small children. But I am currently working at another hospital on a temporary basis where it is much more relaxed and informal. The atmosphere is a lot friendlier and there is less animosity. I personally would not want an audience during a delivery but other people do like that. I think we as nurses get too got up in our "rules". Sure, our OR will only accommodate one person for the C-section and we stick to that. But maybe we spend too much time worrying about the visitors and trying to enforce the rules.