Blood type...HELP!

[MA Nurse]

I am wondering if anyone can provide a website that explains blood types. I had a dad tell me he thought his baby would have the same blood type as him, the baby was A+ and he was A-. I told him I thought a - blood type could produce either a + or - baby. Yikes, it was an awkward conversation, I was at a loss for words. Does anyone know how all that works? Also, this happened because he overheard report! I wish we had parents leave during report. I understand the ABO incompatability and RH - issues, but the rest of it is complicated IMO...ie: how the baby ends up with what blood type.

Hope I don't sound too ignorant! LOL:o

[SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN]

here ya go! just scroll half way down the page. you may also wanna try this link as well.

hope this helps ya ~ cheers :cheers: ~ moe

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

I had an akward situation where a dad read over my shoulder mom and baby's blood type and then asked me how the baby could be O+ if him and mom were both B+. :uhoh21:

[tofutti]

Two B's can have an O if they're both heterozygous.

But what blood type was the mailman?

:)

Tofutti

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

Yikes, that would be awkward! That's why we always close down the unit for report, big HIPAA violation otherwise.

Thanks for the links, Moe!!

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

We're not supposed to make the parents leave for report anymore. Sing it with me, kids:

Family Centered Caaaaaare!!!

And this is EXACTLY why I think that's a bad idea. We have kids whose parents don't share everything with each other. We've had more than one occasion where a mom is either HIV+ or has a h/o drug use and dad doesn't know. Whatever your thoughts on the ethics of that may be, it's still illegal for me to be the one to tell daddy. Or I may need to tell the next nurse that the mom is difficult in certain ways, but here's how to handle her. Or that the MDs suspect a certain dx but we're not to tell mom until it's confirmed.

Not to mention HIPAA, but that's a whole 'nother issue.

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

We're pretty dedicated to family centered care too, but we do close for 2 hours total each day .... 1 hour for each shift change. I don't think that's unreasonable. We make the parents aware of this right from the start and I've never had a parent complain to me about it nor have I heard that it's a big issue with parents.

One of the negative things parents would give us feedback about (on those good ole patient satisfaction forms) was that sometimes the nurse wasn't available to talk to them when they called. Nurse is out on break, busy with another baby, etc. So we'd ask them to call back in a few minutes. BIG NO NO. They apparently hated that. So now we never can have a parent call back .... the pod partner has to answer the phone for them and give them at least some kind of update. No biggie. So they seem to try and accommodate the parents as much as possible and make them as happy as they can, but there's got to be a line drawn with some things.

Off topic I know, but just needed to add that.

[MA Nurse]

We're not supposed to make the parents leave for report anymore. Sing it with me, kids:

Family Centered Caaaaaare!!!

And this is EXACTLY why I think that's a bad idea. We have kids whose parents don't share everything with each other. We've had more than one occasion where a mom is either HIV+ or has a h/o drug use and dad doesn't know. Whatever your thoughts on the ethics of that may be, it's still illegal for me to be the one to tell daddy. Or I may need to tell the next nurse that the mom is difficult in certain ways, but here's how to handle her. Or that the MDs suspect a certain dx but we're not to tell mom until it's confirmed.

Not to mention HIPAA, but that's a whole 'nother issue.

This family centered care thing is getting out of hand. I agree, all units should ask parents to leave during report!:angryfire

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

Two B's can have an O if they're both heterozygous.

But what blood type was the mailman?

:)

Tofutti

Oh yeah! But you should have seen the look on this guys face! I was like, "A duh, duh, duh...." I don't think he believed me when I told him it was possible.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

This family centered care thing is getting out of hand. I agree, all units should ask parents to leave during report!:angryfire

The really irritating part is that some nurses do ask, and some don't. We should at least have a consistent policy. I know it's not fair to accuse parents of splitting behaviors, but sometimes I swear that's what they're doing. "So and so said I could do such and such..."

[SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN]

yikes, that would be awkward! that's why we always close down the unit for report, big hipaa violation otherwise.

thanks for the links, moe!!

you're welcome rain dreamer! i totally agree about closing the units during report most definitely helps with hippa issues. unfortunately, not everybody have that simplest of luxury though .

cheers :cheers: ,

moe