[StatRNNJ97]

I am working in a hospital (NJ) where one of the OB docs does fundal pressure with every laboring patient during second stage. I am FREAKED out! It is not even a gentle application, but serious pushing up and down forcefully. I am not comfortable caring for any of his patients during labor because I know he will be doing fundal pressure! Management knows about this and they continue to allow this OB to practice! Every other place I have ever worked Fundal pressure was NEVER used. Any suggestions? I just keep seeing shoulder dystocia and lawsuits with my name as the nurse caring for the patient.

[fergus51]

Have you talked to your hospital's risk management people?

[SmilingBluEyes]

I echo fergus. They need to be aware of this. what about the Chief of OB?

[LizzyL&DRN]

I'm shocked that your hospital is aware and not doing anything about it! Don't they understand, when this doc shears off a placenta and/or has a bad outcome from a shoulder dystocia(among other things), the hospital will be named in the lawsuit?
We have a doc that loves fundal pressure and will try to get the nurses to do it for him, but when we say no, he teaches the dad to do it. Its awful, and after repeatedely talking to our director and cheif MD of our unit, I have noticed his use of it has decreased. Regrettably not stopped all together. Almost every shoulder dystocia i've seen has been with this doc.
Funny story: When I delivered my daughter a year ago, this doc sometimes covers for my ob. I told my ob, if this doc was covering when I delivered it would be a precipitous delivery because I felt safer with the nurses delivering rather than that doc. He induced me at 39.5 weeks.

[medorn]

I would get some kind of documentation that states who have spoken to and what you have told them that has signitures on it of those higher up the administrative chain. A copy should go in your employee record and keep the original for your self. It's very difficult to avoid working with any one particular Dr. It usually creates stress with other nurses and can make your work enviorment difficult. Besides it might light a fire under those you ask to sign to resolve the problem. The hospital wouldn't have a leg to stand on if this went to court.