Do nurses do it all?

I caught one yesterday for one of my doctors - the doc who was supposed to come for delivery didn't make it until about 5 minutes after the baby. Boy, her nurse was glad to see me. I had gone over to the hospital on my day off to check on a PP patient of mine. This hospital used to have FP residents but doesn't anymore, so the staff is still trying to adjust.

At my hospital, I have had numerous unassisted deliveries. Thank goodness nothing bad has ever happened, and the babies were fine. I do try everything in my power to not let that happen, it scares the crap out of me every time.

I am on the edge of my seat. This is so interesting. WOW!!

Here in Australia all women are cared for in labour by midwives (who are also usually RNs). If the labour is straightforward no doc is involved. If it isn't we work with the docs, and even in the high risk women who birth normally, we catch.

Small hospital with no in-house docs & I work nights. Every once in a while I have to deliver one, but I'm usually able to get the doc here on time. There's only one who is upset every time he misses one. The last time I delivered one of his, his patient was very active on arrival. I checked her and called him and said, "Your patient, Jane Doe, is here. She's a multip, 8cm dilated, 100%, 0station, membranes intact and bulging. You need to come in now." He missed the delivery.

Later he complained to my Director that he didn't know he had to hurry because I hadn't said to hurry and I didn't sound excited!!!!

Hmmm... Aren't we supposed to calm under pressure to keep our mom's in better control? Excitement breeds excitement that turns to chaos. If the Md did not deduce that a multip at 8cm was not immnently going to deliver then he needs a new specialty!!:smackingf

It can happen, but it's not optimal. During my first 3 months of L and D nursing, I had a patient who was having her 4th or 5th baby and spoke a language I didn't understand. She was very stoic and was not telling me that she was pushing (hard to believe, but she was really quiet and just making an uncomfortable look on her face). I go to change the pads under her and the head is crowning. Before you know is, and thankfully I had gloves on, the baby was in my hands.

It happens, but you really want your whole OB team there for the delivery.

Hmmm... Aren't we supposed to calm under pressure to keep our mom's in better control? Excitement breeds excitement that turns to chaos. If the Md did not deduce that a multip at 8cm was not immnently going to deliver then he needs a new specialty!!:smackingf

My director and I both agreed to that point!

We deliver quite often but it never is the plan. With so many epidurals unless you are checking all the time or have lots of earlies sometimes they just appear. One of our docs doesn't want to be there until they are crowning so there is a timing thing to it he can't stand to be there for more then 1 or 2 pushes...I've delivered his baby as he sat at the station waiting for the baby to come down further and I said let's just move your leg right here and try 1 more push...well that did it. As long as we don't try and deliver the placenta we're ok...if they fly out it's ment to be good for the mom.