Noticing a trend..Nurse babysitters??

[mother/babyRN, RN]

I was wondering if others have noticed this trend or if it has just happened to me lately once too often. Last night I got a patient in for a labor check. I had had her before and both times she and her husband came in around 3 am with their 5 year old daughter in tow...That can happen and I understand labor waits for no one BUT, after I sent her home ( and I was the only delivery person available, I might add..), I was called by admitting to go get or intercept someone in active labor...THEY came in with a 21 month old who was crying for mommy. Pt arrived at 7 cms and I was trying to get in anIV, admit, draw labs etc, all the while the husband and poopy diapered child are all over mommy, who is of COURSE upset that her baby is upset....I had the presence of mind to ask the fob if there was anyone else who could come in to pick up the baby, especially since mom was very uncomfortable and I had another pt on the way up who had the potential to be every bit as, shall we say, vocal....

He said he really hadn't thought about it....the nurses could probably do it. I said that cannot happen and mentioned that he should probably take the baby to the waiting area and change him while I attended to the mom. He refused and told me they hadn't brought any diapers. Quickly I called pedi and asked them to send up some diapers and then he asked me where he could change the child! I directed him to a stretcher across the hall, which was to be occupied any minute by my next pt. When he was out of the room I asked the mom if there was anyone I could call and she called her friend, who said she had to work and couldn't come in! Pretty soon I was occupied with trying to distract the child, doing another sve, getting some pain med and eventually an epidural for this pt, AND evaluate the next pt, (fortunaely a primip at 1 cm but still active), by myself!

Not too long ago we had someone come in with a 2 year old ( by ambulance), who wandered all over the place. It is really not only annoying and unsafe, it is just not fair...We do about 600 to 700 deliveries a year. It is not unusual for your delivery backup (if you have one) to be the post partum or nursery nurse. The LAST thing I need are patients bringing in siblings. They, when asked, rarely if ever tell me they have a plan for childcare in the event they go into labor. I can understand the occasional difficulty, but this is turning out to be a real pet peeve of mine....What do you all think? Is it just me or have others noticed this happening?

[mother/babyRN, RN]

Oops, should have posted this in the OB site. Sorry...Too tired to retype it......

[Brian, ASN, RN]

I moved it to the OB forum for you

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

I agree, even when someone is only coming in for an NST. First they have the potential to be admitted, and second no 2yo is a good "waiter" even for 30min.

I let the SO deal with it, and carry the child back into the room every time they wander away, the child is NOT my responsibility, unless I see them actively getting into things.

[mother/babyRN, RN]

What do you do if the so simply doesn't care or have the common sense to do it? I had a lady come in an ambulance with a 2 year old. She didn't belong to us ( the pt) so we had to deal with faxing to and from the other institution. Our fax machine broke so I had to carry the 2 year old with me down to the er to have them do the faxing, stop off at pedi to get diapers and a toy for the 2 year old ( no significant other) AND change her pants and get cereal for her...All the while the mother is begging me not to call social services and I was considering a social admission to pedi. I was the bad guy all around. I even ended up giving the mother some of my old baby clothes to later discover SHE had more stuff than I ever had.....Like I said, this trend is getting to me...