What exactly are AWHONN's guidelines for staffing?

[webbiedebbie]

Every hospital I have worked staffs 1:5 couplets. That is 10 assessments and we do 2 assessments/shift. Doesn't matter if they are C-Sections either. We also do antepartums. Discharge teaching takes alittle longer because it involves teaching on 2 and charting on 2. Not to mention a new admit which involves 2.

I am told by staffing that the med/surg nurses only get 5 patients. That is only 5 assessments/shift.

I also find it difficult to pick up trays 3x/day. Back in the day, there were people who picked trays up and had a cart. Now we have to struggle with trying to open up doors to get the trays in the dirty utility room, not to mention that it usually is at the other end of the hall, and sometimes there are 2 trays in the room.

[RuralNP4KIDS]

and yes to echo the above:

Please, let's don't make this an "us versus them" thread about who has it "harder". I would not ever say med-surg is easy, because anyone who has ever been there know it's not. But OB isn't so easy, either. The acuity may differ, but couplets can be MIGHTY needy, and all of them need a LOT of teaching in VERY short time. It's not easy to do nursing, period, in today's litigious environment. Let's respect each others' struggles, ok? We are all nurses.

I am not trying to promote an us VS them at all :) I was also trying to point out differences. There is a ton of teaching that has to occur in 48-72 hours! I think our theme for nurse's week fits here. Nursing..............Many roles. One Profession!

[mugwump]

Why would you need to do an assesment on a well newborn (or mother) more than once a shift?

I would have to say that having done both kinds of nursing, med-surg patients are a lot more complicated than well mothers and newborns.

two words hospital policy.

[babyktchr, BSN, RN]

I would like to add to another post here that in addition to assessments of newborns, there is a standard of care that states you must document a physical observation of the newborn every 2 hours.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I would like to add to another post here that in addition to assessments of newborns, there is a standard of care that states you must document a physical observation of the newborn every 2 hours.

Yes, you are right. Thank you for this reminder!