Policy Questions and Hello

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First off, Hello! I am new here. I am looking forward to the exchange of ideas and experiences. I am an L&D RN in a busy high-risk Southern California hospital.

I am currently looking at a few of our practices in our evidence based practice committee. I wondered what policies are in place at other hospitals regarding a few practices.

1. Do you wear surgical scrubs or personal scrubs when circulating cesareans?

2. Are you prepping for a lady partsl delivery using soap and water or a betadine prep?

3. Once a delivery table had been opened and covered prior to delivery how long is it considered sterile in your facility and if it's not used but still hasn't "expired" can it be moved to another room for another pt.?

Thanks for sharing what the policies are on your units and if anyone has access to the specific research connected to these policies that would be great!! I'm finding that practice varies greatly yet I'm not finding much research.

Thanks!!!!!!

So Cal

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hello socall&drn, sorry i can't answer any of your questions as i'm not in the same specialty...but i do want to say welcome to allnurses.com; you are in the right place for questions.

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Specializes in OB.

1. At our facility we wear our own scrubs when circulating.

2. We use J&J baby soap and water. Much milder.

3.Our tables are good for 24 hours if covered, but cannot be moved to another room.

We are a high risk unit with a level 3 NICU. Hope this helps.

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Specializes in L&D.

We wear hospital laundred scrubs when circulating C/S.

It varies by the doc. Some do no prep at all, some use betadine. All have recently agreed that we no longer have to use sterile water to prep with. Even with a betadine prep, they've OK'd using warm tap water. This should save us some money.

Our delivery tables are considered clean, not sterile. We try to set them up no more than a couple of hours before delivery. If the set up and covered table has been in the room with the patient, it can't be used for another patient. But if it was set up in the hall, it can be used for anyone.

You'll see lots of different answers to these questions. If your delivery table is considered sterile, you must adhere to the same policy as the OR and their sterile tables. If it's only clean, the policy may differ from the OR

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Specializes in L&D, PP, a little WB, note taker NICU.

1. We wear our own scrubs regardless of type of delivery; we just add the shoe covers, hat, and mask. The support person going in with the pt does get a cover gown though.

2. We use Betadine or Hibiclens for vag deliveries and Chlora-prep for c/s

3. Our tables are good for 12hrs and only for pt they are set for

Hope that helps...

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Specializes in L&D.

1. We are required to come to work in our street clothes and dress out in the hospital scrubs no matter if we are going to have a laboring pt. or a c/s.

2. We use betadine preps or chorhexidine preps for the iodine allergies.

3. We try to set our table with in a few hours before delivery. But the covered tables are good for 12 hours and they are date and timed when set. We are allowed to use them in other pt's rooms.

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We wear surgical scrubs for our entire shift. I rarely go to the OR (CNM) but occasionally I do and I am ready.

I do not prep for a lady partsl delivery. I don't there is any good reason. There is clear evidence that being exposed to mother's bacteria is healthy for baby. I am not even sure what the point of the prep is. I keep mom's bottom clean while pushing if necessary. If I was thinking an epis would be necessary I may prep but since I rarely do them (once in training) I never prep.

I am not sure what the rule is on delivery tables at our facility since the RNs take care of that. When I was an L & D nurse we didn't have any rules or time limits, but that hospital was a frightening place to work ;)

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Specializes in L&D, Antepartum.

Hi and welcome!

Here's what we do:

1. We wear our own scrubs or hospital scrubs to circulate.

2. Our docs don't prep, ever.

3. Our delivery tables are made up in the hall or in closets between rooms and only brought in the room for delivery. We don't have time limits on them, they are sterile and covered.

Hope this helps!

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1. We wear our own scrubs, we don't circulate for c/s, just be baby nurse.

2. We prep with betadine

3. Our tables are good for 24hrs and we can use them for another PT.

Welcome!!

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