doglover21

I thought those were the old guidelines. New ones were just released a couple weeks ago

Wow 56 pages. I will need to get my hands on a copy. Thanks for letting me know Mother/Baby was three couplets. I am also interested in knowing about high risk post-partum patients still on Mag sulfate. We take these patients on the post-partum floor and are included in our normal mother/baby couplet care.

Can someone please copy in the new guidelines that just recently came out? My AWHONN membership ran out and I cannot download the guidelines.

I am alittle confussed after talking to a friend of mine in California. They do their PKU's after 12 hours of age. Many of their patients go home prior to 24 hours and C-sections go home in 2-3 days. In the hospital where I work we cannot do the PKU until at least 24 hours from the time of the first feeding. I am interested to see what other peoples standard is. I thought it was a national standard.

Joining a self-governance committee sounds like a great idea. If you don't find it to be a place where you can voice your concerns right away I would consider looking at other avenues. I have looked at your threads and your place of employement looks quite scary not just for you. They seem to be putting many of the nurses in situations that could easily turn bad. Good thing for OB that many of our patients are basically healthy and young to begin with. I applaud you for taking some positive steps in the right direction.

Who ever is in charge of your department is not concerned with AWOHNN standard guidelines. I think they may be confused when they say six couplets are alright. The guidelines clearly say 1:6 antepartum/postpartum patients without complications BUT THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THEIR BABIES. If you are doing couplet care, which I think you are, the ratio is 1:3-4 NORMAL mother-newborn couplet care. If you start adding Mag and complicated AP patients to the mix the ratio goes back down. Many hospitals do not even take Mag patients onto the postpartum floor. When they do go to the floor they are 1:1. Sounds like someone needs to speak to risk management or bring it to the attention of the doctors. Most doctors don't know what the safe ratio is on post-partum. It is your license and when you are brought into court, the lawyers will look at what the national standard of care is. I am sure you are not the only one that feels this way at your job. Good luck.