Leaving facility AMA...

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So, I had a patient sign herself out AMA yesterday 4 HOURS after delivery! She was strongly encouraged to stay, but nothing I did short of putting handcuffs on her would make her stay.

What is the shortest time after delivery you have seen a patient sign out?

Oh, and I could rant and rave about this person, but I'm sure it would be breaking HIPAA laws.

Why wouldn't they d/c baby? Why shouldn't a healthy mom leave 4 hours after delivery?

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Why wouldn't they d/c baby? Why shouldn't a healthy mom leave 4 hours after delivery?

I totally agree. Why should she have to leave AMA, unless there was a social service issue that would prevent d/c orders?

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Specializes in PERI OPERATIVE.

The woman had a history of drug abuse. Her baby was eventually transfered to the NICU. Also, she had a PPH with this delivery, and had a white count of 27. She left so she could smoke and because her mother couldn't stay the night with her. No FOB involved.

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Specializes in Nurse Manager, Labor and Delivery.

While I have seen mothers go home for a sundry of reasons (I mean why not be home if you don't need to be in the hospital and all is well)...this is beginning to look like the most frequent reason why mom's sign out, at least in my neck of the woods. Its one thing to leave WITH your baby, but its another when you sign out and leave your baby, and then come "visit". Most times I have run up against this is when mom has drug issues, mostly having to go to methadone clinic to get her daily's OR if mom is a career smoker. Our facility (like most I am sure) is smoke free and it is a hassle to get outside. I am sure there is much more to this story, but as the poster said, she didn't want to violate privacy

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
We had a patient who left AMA about 8 hours after delivering, but I can't remember exactly why she left. This was her 4th or 5th baby. I do remember that she pretty much told us she wasn't coming back for her baby, though, and she didn't.

I didn't have a problem with her leaving, but it broke my heart that her baby was starting life with the deck stacked against him.

Elvish, I think the baby got the better end of this deal.... at least this way, he was able to be adopted by two parents who passed a home eval, psych eval, finances eval, etc. What were his chances of being successful in life if he went home with HER?

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Elvish, I think the baby got the better end of this deal.... at least this way, he was able to be adopted by two parents who passed a home eval, psych eval, finances eval, etc. What were his chances of being successful in life if he went home with HER?

I was thinking the same thing.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
Elvish, I think the baby got the better end of this deal.... at least this way, he was able to be adopted by two parents who passed a home eval, psych eval, finances eval, etc. What were his chances of being successful in life if he went home with HER?

Oh, I didn't mean to imply that he'd have had a great life going home with Mom. That we'll never know. But he became a ward of the state, and who knows if he was adopted after that. Who knows if the foster family would have been any better than his mom, is all I'm saying.

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