StrongRN

AmberL&D/RN Sounds like some very good and sound advice on line. By all means "call her bluff" nurses like this we can all do without. Let her know that while you do what you can to ease the shift transition you are not there to do her job and yours too, since you only get paid for the one. She may be a major reason this facility is having to utilize so many travelers (not that travelers aren't a valuable asset). When a unit has a bully that person is usually the major complainer, whinner, and traditionally least motivated staffer. You know the type who works harder at trying to get out of work than doing the work. If noone ever says anything to her nothing will change and she will continue to bully and get the glory of being miss efficient - never giving credit to those who deserve it. And most importantly make an appointment with the nurse manager and assistant nurse manager to voice your "concerns" for their unit and facility in view of the questionable nursing practices you have observed. Trust me as the assistant nurse manager of an OB/GYN unit they will be most appreciative for the "heads-up." GOOD LUCK!!!!

Perhaps your director should initiate a "cooling Period" like we have at my hospital. It goes like this - we do not take admissions 15 minutes before the end of a shift and not for the 15 minutes after change of shift. We have people trying to go home too. Now keep in mind that if we have someone who has worked 3p -11p , 7p - 7a, then if it is a crunch type situation and the patient need to come out now because they need that bed - then my 3-11 staffer can if possible for her/us take an admission at 6:59p to help our sister unit out. And for the most part this works fairly well. At least from the aspect that we are doing what L&D want. I would like to see L&D extend a helping and understanding hand our way a little more frequently. Does anyone have an idea what L&D has the impression that they are the "chosen" ones and Womens Surgical Nurses are only here to do as they are told.? We each are valuable in our own right. And I dare to say most could not run the hall with 8-9 patients (gyn, antepartums, postpartums, renal, gi. etc.) What do you think?

Our Mother/Baby ratio is 4-5/1 optimally speaking they prefer 4:1 but with staffing the way it is now a days 5 or 6 would not be unheard of but would also be rare.

Let's get real ladies. Birthing babies is birthing babies regardless of what the outcome is. I personally found labor (no epidural during labor) to be less discomfort than my menstrual cycle. But after 20 hours of labor 100% effaced and 8cm dilated I had a young man that just refused to come down -- we were having our own private tennis match. They said even though the baby was small we just needed to proceed with a c/section. That was ok with me because I knew we were not making ground. But then I never had a nurse tell me to "walk, try squatting" or any of the things we do now. But I had my 8.9 lb. baby boy and 2 of his brothers (8.3 lbs. & 8.15 lbs.) I would not trade my labor for induction or scheduling. And let's face it 75-80% of 1st time inductions = primary c/section. Do not fear labor but love the product of your labor.:kiss :kiss :D

Sweetheart what you need to do is run not walk straight to the closest state board of nursing, joint commission, and B L O W THE W H I S T L E on these heartless @#!~%$^*. And let them all know that you are quite willing to go to the nearest Malpractice Attorney in your area only to be followed by an interview with the local Editor. It boils down to one of the most important things we all learned probably 1st day in school - CYA- cover your @##. Good Luck and Happy Hunting.

I am an Assistant Nurse Manager for an ob/gyn unit at a local hospital in Columbia. Anyone interested in a job? I would like to know how may facilities have LDR to Postpartum units. And how many are Postpartum and GYN combo units., with 29 beds? What are your guidelines and criteria for transferring a delivered patient out to the floor:

UKRN88 On my unit we take call in 4 hour increments @ $1/hour and should we be called in we are paid time and a half plus the $1/hour . And we are guaranteed 2hour of call back back even if we stay only 30 minutes. We participate in this in order to be a closed unit and are therefore not pulled housewide. :angryfire

:angryfire I have a gyn/post partum unit with 29 beds. Our hospital has just recently gone to the LDR approach for new mothers. My question to you is: At what stage of her recovery does this new mother get transferred to your unit? Do you have policy and procedures in place r/t mom being able to empty her bladder either on her own or by catherization? Does she have to be able to move her lower extremities to get score on aldrete scale? Does your unit handle just postpartums or do you have both postpartum and gyn, as well as antepartum patients? I really need to know the "norm" out there now. PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR INPUT FROM YOUR FACILITY. I AM TRYING TO BRING OUR STANARDS OF CARE UP TO GRADE