KeyWestRN

Working Labor and Delivery we get the abusive pushy rude obnoxious family in at all hours of the night. Just Last week I started out my shift with a sister of a labor patient cussing at me because she told the "stupid day shift nurses" something and said the F word 3-4 times. I calmly asked her relationship to the patient then told her that she needn't cuss at me and that I was there to take care of her sister's labor. Then I didn't address anyone in the room but the patient from then on unless I was doing an exam and had to ask them to leave the bedside. I also told my manager who happend to be there at the time what was going on ! She didn't cuss at me again for the rest of the labor :)

Not only do we take Gyn patients we take Ortho's Hips, Knees, shoulders, kyphoplasty. Lap chole's , Breast biopsy ohhh lets see Kidney Stones, ABD pain. As long as they are women and "clean" we take em! some are really not appropriate for a L&D unit. Plus at night we routinly have 2 nurses so if we are laboring and have a delivery that goes bad the patients dont see anyone for a long time. Not fair to them either. I had a G3P2 come in saying she was 28 weeks cramping might have ruptured put her on the bed nitrazine neg underwear dry no visible fluid, no complaints of feeling like pushing went to bathroom to give urine sample. Started grunting delivered in toilet. Imagine my suprise! thank goodness we had 2 nurses the other nurse called Doc from the bedside phone and Called Resp. Got mom back to bed while carrying infant who was wailing and I am thinking this isn't a 28 week infant. 8 minutes elapsed from patients arrival to unit until the Doc was called. So please tell me If I had been by myself how that would have been a safe situation? Infant weight 7-15. and Exam put infant at 38 weeks .Mom had come in the year before complaining of stomach pain and the ER was palpating her abd and oh wow something kicked them. She denied being pregnant. Delivered our New Years baby 20 min later. Mom has a bit of a problem with dates and oh knowing she is pregnant at all.

Jolie I would also get the OBs on your side. Do they know that they are admitting their patients to a unit that is not properly staffed to handle emergencies? It hospital administration truly believes that their staffing plan is safe and adequate, then ask them to put it in writing to the attending physicians and potential patients. It would read something like this, "Our beautiful birthing unit is staff by highly qualified professional nurses who will provide 1:1 care to you during your labor, unless you happen to arrive in the middle of the night. Then we suggest that you call ahead so that we can phone your nurse at home and ask her to get here before you do. I am going to have to share that with my fellow nurses !!! Our OB is wishy washy and doesn't stand up to most of her patients let alone managment!

I work at a hospital that has 4 L&D rooms with 2 "backup" rooms where we can monitor but they have regular hospital beds not delivery beds. We do 250 to 350 deliveries a year. When we have no patients on the unit, usually sunday nights one nurse is put on call and one has to stay and float to other units with a spectralink phone in case a patient presents to ER . We all feel this is incredibly unsafe but we are told that they can't staff for "what if"! We keep saying its not "what if" Its WHEN something happens. I have had to work alone several times. I tell the house supervisor (who is there only until 9pm on weekends) How uncomfortable I am being alone. I tell Respiratory that If I call they better come running and the charge nurse on the tele unit on the same floor that if I call they better come!. I am worried should something go wrong I will lose my Licence!

I have worked for 2 Pediatricians and Nurse Practitioner for 3 years, The Nurse Practitioner and her Doctor hubby are leaving the practice. The other doctor is not sure how long he will be able to keep the practice going so i am taking another position in an OB-Gyn office. I have been telling parents as I see them in the Office. I live in a small community and word of mouth has already spread! I am getting phone calls already !! My new position has better benefits but i feel really guilty leaving the kids and parents !! I was on the edge of tears all day as parents and kids said goodbye to me. I have to keep telling myself its better for me to leave!!!