Do your docs bring baby to sterile warmer in c/s?

[zinker35861]

We are trialing a new technique for our hospital in which the doc brings the baby to a sterile warmer in a c/s instead of having a nurse gown and glove to receive the baby from the doctor. We did this at the other hospitals I worked for and it always worked well. Many of the doctors and staff members are very skeptical that this is an acceptable practice due to the fact the doctor has to walk about 5-6 ft from the patient to the warmer. Fears of dropping the baby because they might slip on the floor have also been brought up. On the other hand the nurse has not done a sterile scrub and she is directly touching the physician with the baby handoff. We always don't have personnel from our nursery or pp unit who come to help that are willing to gown and glove because they want to be ready at the warmer. So what happens is our circulator ends up gowning and gloving instead sometimes. Saving the cost of the gown and glove during each of our c/s's was also brought up. I just wanted to know what others did at their hospitals. Thanks

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

The scrub nurse has a sterile drape and the OB "drop" the baby onto it.She brings the baby to the warmer and places it there.

I can't help but think it's a bad idea for an OB to walk away from the middle of a surgery, even for a couple of seconds.

[shortstuff31117]

The warmer is fairly close to the table to begin with, and we just push it closer when delivery is close. That way whoever is handing baby off the table, just has to turn around and walk less than 2 feet. We drape sterile blankets over the edge of the warmer.

[Mississippi_RN]

At my hospital, the Pediatrician is automatically there for every cesarean section. So, the NBN RN that attends with them are the ones who go to the OR table to receive the baby. The towel is sterile that MIGHT come in contact with the OB handing off. However, if it is one of our OBs in particular, you are more concerned about CATCHING the baby then merely taking it in the proper manner.

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

We too, have the baby catcher use a HUGE sterile drape- the OB drops the baby right into your sterile arms!

I'm no OR nurse, but I think there is something about the doc turning their back to the sterile field that is a no no........ anyone know about this??

[zinker35861]

The person taking the baby to the warmer is the first assist not the attending doctor. There is always a doctor with the patient. AORN states that the sterile persons stay in the sterile field and non sterile persons stay in non sterile area. We are careful to keep the warmer sterile but I do like the idea of pushing the warmer closer so the doctor can just reach over and stick the baby in the warmer.

[cassioo, RN]

We have either the doc or the assist (sometimes another doc sometimes ARNP sometimes CST take baby to warmer which is set up with sterile drape and sterile blanket on warmer. The equipment is under the drape. As far as slipping anybody could slip whether they were bringing baby from table or picking up at table.

[mjb324]

Our warmer is draped with sterile drapes and the person who is assisting the doc brings the baby over.