momsrn

Reading all this makes me think that most of the people posting are just off of 4 or 5 12 hour shifts in a row!!! :yawn:I've worked with seasoned nurses that are tired and don't put forth much effort. I've worked with newbies who just aren't that smart yet. I've been a nurse for 10 years now...Some nights I don't do much beyond the bare minimum (embarrassing to say, but the truth.) Others nights, I wear my skates and keep things rolling, not just for my patients, but for others. Gotta say, tho, it's not usually the new RNs who now how to bend the rules, leave IVs out for the next shift, etc... I've been very lucky, we've averaged 2 new nurses a year where I work. They're not burned out and they remember all that weird stuff from school that the rest of us forget. Our newest nurse was the one who recognized that one of our moms had postpartum cardiomyopathy the other night. A lot of the others I work with didn't even know what it is!! Remember,us "oldies" can help shape the attitudes of the newbies.

This is something I had to deal with lately. I was complaining at work recently about having to sit in a jury pool. Several folks offered ways to get out of it and then one nurse spoke up "When I was being sued, I wanted the jury of my peers to be educated, rational people...not just people who couldn't come up with a good excuse." It got me thinking... in today's litigious society, nurses are sued all the time. If you've never been deposed, good for you. I prefer a root canal with no anesthesia to what I went thru.:chuckle But should I ever have to go to the defendant's chair, I want to look over at the jury box and see intelligence in the eyes of my jury. Additionally, I see a valid point to "civic duty." And several years of military service don't free you up for the rest of your life. I'm in my early thirties and can understand why those generations older than mine look down on us disdainfully. Nobody has to take a bullet to serve on a jury. It just one of those things that the founding fathers did right. If your going to be convicted of something, don't you want people just like you to do it? Seems to me, other ways aren't very American.

You and I both know that you can be sued for anything nowadays. Does this suit have a strong leg in court? That depends on how well you document and the laws in your state. Was deposed on a similar case years ago.. VBAC who refused to sign a consent that had "possible c-section" written on it. Would only consider VBAC. Her uterus ruptured. Her husband signed a consent, told us to cut her. Mom and baby both lived, but mom lost her uterus and baby has severe neuro defecits. Guess whose fault it is? Not the mom's... according to a jury. This area of medicine is fraught with what I consider to be sometimes unneccessary risks. I'm pretty sure that mom wanted a healthy baby more than she wanted to avoid another section. But, you can only educate a patient and then do your best to support them while hoping for a good outcome. Sad story, huh?

As both a 3 time mom and an OBGYN nurse, your post touched me. I want to recommend that you do as all of the others have suggessted and have a good talk with your DR. That said, I would also like to suggest a few things myself. 1) Understand that your ultimate goal and that of the staff at the hospital you decide to deliver at are the same: a healthy baby and mommy. I agree with allowing an INT(intermittent IV) or saline lock. No, IV fluids are not necessary. However, as someone who has already delivered 3 times, you are at a slight risk for increased bleeding. Additionally, labor is VERY hard work (DUH). Your uterus, as a large muscle, will require hydration if your labor is long. Athletes know the importance of remaing hydrated and birth is more work than any sport in the Olympics. It's not a good idea to take in your fluids by mouth in a case an emergency c-section is needed. Additionally, if baby gets into distress, one of the easiest and least aggressive interventions we perform first is to give you a fluid bolus, allowing more blood and oxygen to get to baby. This may be a good comprimise to "give" on. 2) This next point is sure to push a lot of buttons but I feel that it bears addressing. If you come to the hospital to have your baby, you are asking for the expertise and experience of the staff that works there. It is possible to have a baby elsewhere. If you truly don't want the interventions of nurses (whose decisions won't always gel with the fairy-tale idea of birth) then perhaps you should consider other options for your delivery. This sounds a little harsh, but keep in mind that you tell the mechanic which tires to put on your car, not HOW to put them on. The more information we have on the status of the baby (from a fetal monitor) the better we can deal with a potential crisis. I counsel parents who have suffered the loss of their babies and also lost my own 8 years ago. This is a tragedy that no one should have to feel. I feel that being hooked up to a IV and a fetal monitor for 12 hours is more than a fair trade whenever my DR. hands me my baby and I can hear that first sweet cry. 3) Finally, let me address the issue of rooming in and supplementing. I always tell my moms that I am there to work for them. You are their employer. If a nurse tells you that your baby needs to go to the nursery, ask them if whatever need to be done can be done at the bedside. It's not always convienent, but nearly every care given to a healthy infant can be performed at mom's side in her room. At my hospital, we cannot move the hearing screen machine from the nursery. But it is placed right next to the window and mom or dad can watch the entire time. Also, I don't know any DR. who would perform a circumcision in mom's room. (You wouldn't really want to be present for that anyway!) If a nurse tells you that the baby must recieve sugar water, ask her what your baby's blood sugar is and what the acceptable limits for your pediatrician are. Ask if the baby is not symptomatic that you be allowed to breastfeed and then have the blood sugar rechecked. Despite what some popular organizations like to say, most healthy term infants should have no problem latching onto the breast after a 1 time use of an artificial nipple. Thanks for seeking out the opinions of nurses and for allowing us the opportunity to open a dialouge with you. It shows a respect for our experience and knowledge and also that you are smart enough to get educated about your delivery options. I hope that your delivery is a joyous occassion. God bless you and your little one.