AWHONN GUIDELINES

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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Specializes in L&D, OB/GYN, Peds, Home Health.

Can anyone quote the AWHONN guidelines for staffing in the Perinatal Unit?

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Are you refering to an Ante Partum ie: PTL, PIH, bleeding, etc. patients? Our unit staffs three pts to one RN if stable, and I know we follow the guidelines pretty closely here--these include those on MgSo4 and/or BID monitoring--

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Originally posted by lawilk99:

Can anyone quote the AWHONN guidelines for staffing in the Perinatal Unit?

I know mother baby is 3-4 stable couplets.

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Originally posted by lawilk99:

Can anyone quote the AWHONN guidelines for staffing in the Perinatal Unit?

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Originally posted by lawilk99:

Can anyone quote the AWHONN guidelines for staffing in the Perinatal Unit?

Here are the Amerrican Acamdemy of Pediactrics and ACOG guidelines. Hope this helps.

nurse/patient ratio care provided

Intrapartum

1:2 pt. in labor

1:1 pt. in 2nd stage

of labor

1:1 pt. with medical

or obstectrical

complication

1:2 pt on pitocin

1:1 coverage for

initating epidural

1:1 circulation for cs

antepartum\postpartum

1:6 ante&post pt.without

complication

1:2 pt. in recovery

1:3 ante$post pt. with

complication but

stable

1:4 recently born infant

& those requiring

close care

newborns

1:6-8* newborn with routine

care only

1:3-4 normal couplet care

1:3-4 newborn req. contin-

uing care

1:2-3 intermed. care

1:1 multisystem care

1:1 or greater unstable critcal care

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All alone is right on. Do you have the AWOHHN site? There are some information available through their fax program (or was--have not visited there recently)

Good luck

------------------

Sheryl

If you enjoy word puzzles come visit me at www.CrosswordsForNurses.com

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antepartum\postpartum

1:6 ante&post pt.without

complication

hello!

antepartum is a complication

the other guideline was 1:3 antepartum with complications but stable?

what do these mean exactly?

is there an awhonn book or site that can spell it out or offer some kind of print out?

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Specializes in L&D, M/B.

So much for "guidelines".... we are at 5 couplets every night and alot of nights we are going to 6 each with the charge nurse taking at least 3 to 5 couplets also. We try to have a RN in the nursery but have had to pull her out on the floor also and leave a PCA in there. We have had any where from 5 to 15 babies staying the night in the nursery "so mom can sleep".

Can we say burnout?

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
So much for "guidelines".... we are at 5 couplets every night and alot of nights we are going to 6 each with the charge nurse taking at least 3 to 5 couplets also. We try to have a RN in the nursery but have had to pull her out on the floor also and leave a PCA in there. We have had any where from 5 to 15 babies staying the night in the nursery "so mom can sleep".

Can we say burnout?

That is unsafe, period. Is your NM aware of the guidelines???

We usually have 3-4 couplets and one (relatively) stable antepartum pt. Usually pretty manageable, but I've had 4 couplets & a mom BFing twins and that is REALLY hard. So far complaints fall on semi-deaf ears.

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Specializes in L&D.

Make sure your hospital's legal department is aware of the guidelines and that your department is routinely way over them. OB is tends to have the highest awards in malpractice cases. If there is a problem that occurs on a night that you were seriously understaffed and that problem can be even tentatively traced to that, your hospital has no legal leg to stand on. Every time you are out of the guidelines, be sure your directior, house supervisor, administrator, and legal department are aware of it. No one (except your patients and coworkers) will appreciate this, so don't expect to make any friends by being the squeeky wheel. But it's the only way things every get changed.

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

I have a question along these lines. The hospital I work at (the same one as Arwen, actually) has a separate L and D and triage areas. As far as I can tell at this point, the L and D staffing is good, meets guidelines, and C-section is a little hectic with one nurse responsible for mom/baby circulating, but doable.

I am a little nervous about the triage area though. The staffing there is 2 nurses for up to 8 pts. I doubt this happens much, but I am worried about it. I haven't been in this area but a couple of times so far, so I'm not comfortable with the paperwork, or the routine there yet, but when the day comes that I have to take 4 pts, I think I will freak out!! What do you guys do for triage?

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We are also at 5 couplets on nights here in St. Louis. It is crazy! I had to giggle a bit the other night when I read a post asking about med/surg ratios. I believe the ratio was in question was 6 patients with one tech for 4 nurses. I am seriously considering going back to med/surg for those ratios. I have technically 10 patients and no tech. I can't get anything done! I feel like my patients are neglected. And I am so tired of visitors saying, "it must be nice to play with the babies all night." What playing? I don't even hold a baby except to get it to the scale and back. :angryfire Sorry, this thread struck a raw nerve. What do we have to do to get back to sane ratios again?

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