[momredman]

Our current OB unit has just been informed by our new team leader, we are going to start mother baby nursing the first of June. The unit is built with 15 separate LDRPs a newborn and Nicu nursery and an 6 bed outpt area. We currently have 130 deliveries a month and see around 300 outpts. Mother baby has been attempted twice in the last 20 years but was unsucessful. She has proposed no guidelines, just that we are doing this to help with the staffing shortage. We currently have 7 RN's who work day shift in the nursery and 15 LDRP nurses. The proposal is for the nursery nurses to take over the postpartum care as well as the baby care. Most LDRP nurses are not crossed trained to well baby care. I guess my question is what is the current ratio of mom-baby couples and where do high accuity pts such as new c/s and tubals moms on mag etc fit in? The nursery nurses at varies times have taken care of normal pp care, meaning normal uneventful vag. deliveries or post 24 surgeries. The computer charting system is totally different from what is used in the current nursery setting. She feels 4 shifts of training in adequate. I have the feeling we could be headed for disaster if not implemented correctly. Not to mention we also have our own surgical suite where we do c/s, tubals, s/c and d/c's. We have no techs. My last question who attends the deliveries if we are involved with couple care, and takes care of the NICU babies, does hearing test and helps physicians with circs or other procedures. Looking for answers. Thanks