:kiss Hi, nurses, have you ever had a patient who comfronted you about handling their newborns too roughly? I was just wondering because when my cousin had her baby girl she became upset with the way the baby was being tossed around. I understand both sides though. On one hand, the nurse is experience and knows different ways to handle the infant and on the other hand, the newborn is so fragile and should be treated delicately.
So what is your opinion?(be specific and oh if you need to vent about a certain comfrontation, please feel free to do so!) - I get a kick out of ya'll stories.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Ballard and Dubowitz scoring are used to determine gestational age of newborns through a series of simple assessments of reflexes, etc, in the case you are in doubt.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
and for a parent to watch Ballard or Dubowitz scoring MAY be unsettling but usually you can offset that by explaining each assessment and reassuring you are not harming their newborns.
:kiss Hi, nurses, have you ever had a patient who comfronted you about handling their newborns too roughly? I was just wondering because when my cousin had her baby girl she became upset with the way the baby was being tossed around. I understand both sides though. On one hand, the nurse is experience and knows different ways to handle the infant and on the other hand, the newborn is so fragile and should be treated delicately.
So what is your opinion?(be specific and oh if you need to vent about a certain comfrontation, please feel free to do so!) - I get a kick out of ya'll stories.
by the way.....I love allnurses.com:nurse:
LOL!!! This brings back memories for me. When I had my first baby, I remember being the same way. This was 10 years ago, long before I became a nurse. I was attempting to breastfeed. The nursery nurse was attempting to show me how to position the baby for optimal feeding. For some reason, that baby would not suck my breast. So, the nurse was trying to push her little head forward to entice her to nurse. I had a cow!!! I said, "Stop it, you're going to give her brain damage!" and the nurse was like, "Honey, it's okay." I felt like I acted ridiculous when I look back at it, but back then, I was young and confused. At one point, me and the baby were both crying. LOL!!! The parents just need to be educated.
We transition all healthy newborns at mom's bedside, so I have made it a point to explain everything I do and what I am looking for.
I will also explain to new mom's that it is not my intention to handle the baby carelessly, but whatever I am doing is far easier than what they went through to get out!:)
In the past 23 years I lost count of how many times I have had patients express concern about the way staff handles their babies. I try to spend some time handling the baby in Mom's room while talking with her about how the baby is used to being in a tight place and so feels more secure when held or wrapped very tightly, that while we worry about the frontal "soft spot" many parents aren't even aware that there is a fontanel in the back of the baby's head and have no qualms about rubbing the back of the baby's head. Education, talking to the family while we care for their wee one is vital. Hard to do during a code - but if you can take take 3 tminutes to sit down and explain all that went on, you can diffuse a lot of potential legal storms. We so often get caught up inthe routine of what we do, we forget it isn't routine for Mom, Dadand grandparents. I am not sure what to do when the Mom think we are being too rough holding the baby's head still to try to get a photo of the baby's face for their parents - I had my hand cradleing the top of the baby's head and baby didn't wast to hold still for the picture.
I have not directly had the experience of being accused of handling infants too roughly, but have heard it. I have worked in a newborn nursery and also a nicu for several years and know that the main thing is that infants are not as fragile as those who love them feel they are. We always teach the parents to protect the infants and handle with care. Although we must do things that look rough to them such as at birth and resusitation, starting IV's and sometimes bathing. I did have a mom complain that I was forcing her baby to eat and choking her. The baby was a 32 week infant who had been tube fed and was being nippling.
We had a patient c/o baby was "picked up by his head" for the hearing screen. The nurse lifted his head, but certainly did not pick him up by the head. People often don't understand when newborns cry in response to handling, like for axillary temps or diapering. They hear crying and think pain.
Maybe some complaining can be alleviated by having the parents perform as much of the basic care for their newborns as possible. Also, it helps when nurses demonstrate that they're at least making an effort to be as gentle as possible. My MW used a special ankle warmer before taking the heel stick- it made the blood flow faster so she didn't have to stand there squeezing, and squeezing, and squeezing, the way it was with my other kids.
:lol2: Dang it! You made me snort Sprite all over my computer!!!
SmilingBluEyes
20,964 Posts
Ballard and Dubowitz scoring are used to determine gestational age of newborns through a series of simple assessments of reflexes, etc, in the case you are in doubt.