OK, so yesterday toward the end of my 12 hour shift I get a new patient who had an IUFD last year and is now 38 weeks.
Work her up... have a good conversation... talk for a minute about all she went through last year.
Doc comes in and discusses plan of care, doc goes out and I translate some of the info, i.e. what pitocin is, what a glucommander is and who will be caring for her over the next day.
Change of doc's, new resident in to perform U/S on pt who was admitted from the clinic for NRNST, I am in and out of the room collecting care and IV supplies.
The doc completes the U/S then pulls me into the hall to tell me with brows knit and teeth clenched "this patient killed her baby last year". My response "Oh my goodness"
Now I have to go back and face the patient with info in my mind that is clearly detrimental to our relationship and try not to let it get to me. I think I did a pretty good job and the patient thanked me kindly for my care when I left her at the end of the shift.
It turns out that the resident who performed the U/S had cared for the patient last year and had attempted to educate and admit her for blood sugars out of control but the patient had refused leading to the IUFD.
I did not feel comfortable letting the doc know that I was not happy about her attempt to turn my mind against the patient...
Resident lastly made the comment that the baby from the current pregnancy would be "riding the short bus" from the lack of care the mother took during this pregnancy.
dawngloves, BSN, RN
2,399 Posts
Nevermind. :imbar
Thanks Enid, you said it better than I could.