Video cameras banned in L&D

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

The hospital where I work recently banned videotaping in the labor & delivery suite. There's a big sign on the entrance door to the unit.

The technician who told me about it believed that the doctors are afraid of being sued and they don't want the evidence on tape. I respectfully disagreed and said it's probably because the video crew gets in the way, or the support person can't give support because they're waving that camera around, or the woman doesn't want to be taped and the person does it anyway, or whatever.

I could see taping the birth if, say, the dad is in Iraq. I have also heard of people who taped the birth and showed it to all their visitors for years afterwards and then wondered why their friends stopped coming around.

What are your policies and opinions on this? I'm curious.

I think that it is a great Idea. I was in a clinical rotation in OB and the Father of the baby took videos of the whole precedure. As then a student nurse I was able to watch him film. This man too pictures of evey instument,nurse,student,cord,uterus,placenta, apgar,before and after. There were pictures of the anesthesiologist and the administering of Meds. I thought that that was a bit much at the time.He was Just in the way!

Yes Please ban the camera!!

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Wouldn't a picture/video of the Apgar be illegal?

Specializes in Critical Care.
Wouldn't a picture/video of the Apgar be illegal?

why would a picture of the apgar be illegal, but not a picture of all the other, more invasive procedures?:confused:

tvccrn

Specializes in Level 2 and 3 NICU, outpt peds.

Have to add my 2 cents, videotaping is not the ultimate culprit but when the SO refuses to get out of the way during resusc and actively demands that you stop what you're doing so they can get further still shots, this is NOT the time to explain to them what's going on. Unfortunately for us (NICU), the parents have usually not been told by the L&D staff of the policy putting us in a bad spot in the middle of a worse spot!!

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Good point, Pooh. No one wants to be the "mean/bad nurse" to someone else's "nice nurse" persona. Consistency is not only a good thing, it is critical.

hi. i am in nursing school so i have not been in any "family videos" as of yet but i do have an opinion on this subject.

[color=#00bfff]my son was born in july of 2004. i began having contractions and was sent to the hospital where i was induced. my doctor was one of several in the practice. she would have allowed a video camera in the or or in the ldr. sadly, i didn't progress and was sent home. the following week i was sent back and was induced again. after 13 hours of a non-progressing labor, i ended up with a somewhat "rushed" c-section. the doctor that was on call then (another from the practice that i had seen only in the office) refused a video camera but allowed a digital camera. one of the nurses was a friend of my husbands and she stood at me knee and took pictures from the time of incision to when they handed my son to me! it was great. since with a c-section i felt i missed out on a lot of my delivery i had pics so i felt 100% better about it. i only hope it is allowed at the next delivery since it will have to a scheduled c-section. maybe a little professional courtesy will be offered?! what do ya'll think?

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
why would a picture of the apgar be illegal, but not a picture of all the other, more invasive procedures?:confused:

tvccrn

Apgar on a form, wouldn't it be a legal document belonging to a chart.

Notice that quite a few of the posts have said that it's facility policy whether video cameras are allowed.

Yup i get it's hosptial policy, I was referring to the many nurses comments that didn't think we should tape "every little thing", It's gross, who'd want that, etc... you may think it's dumb to want to see your stretchy perineum in action ;) but that's not your call to make for another couple.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Yup i get it's hosptial policy, I was referring to the many nurses comments that didn't think we should tape "every little thing", It's gross, who'd want that, etc... you may think it's dumb to want to see your stretchy perineum in action ;) but that's not your call to make for another couple.

There's a difference between having a personal opinion on what's gross or TMI, and actually saying those things to a pt.

Never said it was "my call". ALready stated my thoughts on that many posts ago.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I do think health care providers SHOULD ABSOLUTELY have a choice whether they appear on people's video taping, however---even if policy is unclear or there is none against it. I absolutely do.

Specializes in NICU.
Yup i get it's hosptial policy, I was referring to the many nurses comments that didn't think we should tape "every little thing", It's gross, who'd want that, etc... you may think it's dumb to want to see your stretchy perineum in action ;) but that's not your call to make for another couple.

Nurses are allowed to have opinions.

We're discussing this on an anonymous forum - not forcing our opinions on our patients. We have every right to think what we want about this topic and to post about it here. No one ever said we were perfect.

And I also agree that health care providers have the right to refuse to be on camera while they are doing their jobs. We are there to work, and it's very hard to do our jobs when there is a camera in our faces during critical moments. Hospital policy or not - we should have the right to say something if we are being videotaped while providing nursing care.

Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.
Vamedic, I see you work or have worked in a PICU....my question to you is this....would you let a parent videotape you recusitating their child in the PICU?

It is my right to be in photos or videotaped. I have always wondered what people do with those video tapes of births...pull them out at birthday parties and get togethers? Yuck! :nono:

Truthfully it doesn't really matter to me whether I'm videotaped or not.... You are correct in that you have a right not to be on video (haven't we established this already)..as I posted, some people with morbid fascinations only want to see the child in the video..we all just get in the way.

Perhaps they do pull the tapes out at parties, memorials, whatever - not my call to make. People grieve in different ways....

QUOTE: Have to add my 2 cents, videotaping is not the ultimate culprit but when the SO refuses to get out of the way during resusc and actively demands that you stop what you're doing so they can get further still shots, this is NOT the time to explain to them what's going on. Unfortunately for us (NICU), the parents have usually not been told by the L&D staff of the policy putting us in a bad spot in the middle of a worse spot!!

Now the people mentioned above are just retarded. As I posted before...as long as they're out of the way and not a burden to staff who are actively engaged in lifesaving efforts...but unfortunately, we live in America, Land of the Free,... home of the ridiculous. I can't believe that people would actually be so friggin' ignorant as to suggest that you "move your hand so I can get a pic of them putting that tube in"...never mind the fact that the baby's HR is 50 and you're giving CPR all you've got.

Keep up all the good work that you all do there in L/D and NICU nurses.

And have a good night!

vamedic4

going home soon.

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