We are a small rural unit that does approximately 45 deliveries a month on average. Of course, we have crazy months that we do 65 and really slow months that we only do 35, but on average about 40-45. Anyway, we are constantly bombarded by the OR crew that the OB staff should be doing their own C/S's on the unit. Currently, if we have a stat C/S the OR team gets called in to do them.
I understand the reasoning that with a 30 minute from decision to incision time that it would be better for in-house staff to do them, but we do so few per year that our skills just wouldn't be up to par and we don't currently have the staff available for that. And the expenses involved in training all 30 of us to learn this skill would be incredible and to keep up the skill would also involve extensive training, not to mention more staff to fill the area also. Being a small unit, we would have to train everyone because of days off, on call, etc.
We confront this problem all the time and get frustrated. Mother and baby are of utmost priority and we do start opening the room and have the patient in the room sometimes prior to OR arriving, and then they take over and we concentrate on baby. (the labor nurse assists with the baby at this point).
Do any small hospitals our size staff their own C/S and how does it work?? Our experience is that only larger hospitals are doing this and it would not work in a small hospital. Thanks for your help. Sharon
