switching form postpartum to couplet care

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

So, I am switching from a postpartum unit to a different hospital with couplet care. At the hospital i'm at now you care for the mom only or the baby only. I have not been crosstrained to care for the babies. Any advice on how to organize myself with the switch to couplet care? Any suggestions on books to read? I really don't know a lot about caring for newborns. I have had children myself and I have picked up a lot from being around them but i'm still green on newborn assessments, labs, etc. I do have a lot of experience helping moms breastfeed/swaddle etc but thats about it.

I know most of my orientation is going to focus on baby care but i'm still nervous about this new chapter.

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I am on a unit with couplet care and one of my best friends on the unit did the switch you ar eaout to make a few years ago. I think you have to approach the sitatution just the way you would if you were switchin to peds nursing or home health, go in with a newbie-learn everything attitude. It will come much quicker and I think you may enjoy the continuity that couplet care provides for the patients. As far as organization, I don't find it any different than managing other patients! Best of Luck!

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I don't understand why so many places do not already have couplet care. It's best for patients and staff alike. Mom-baby dyads need dedicated nurses who can observe mom-baby interactions and how well new parents take on the role of caring for their babies. Don't worry; once you are oriented, you will be fine and come to love doing things this way.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I agree, SmilingBlu. The facility I worked at until just recently *just* switched to couplet care in February. The continuity of care is so much better with couplet care.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

AWHONN has a couple really good segments on newborn assessment - focusing on the normal. I think they're a couple years old but still good. If you're not an AWHONN member you'll have to pay a little more (I think $10 vs. $5 per unit) but I think it's worth it.

Learning newborns will not be an overnight thing, it will take several months. Ask your fellow nurses at work for tips on what works for them. One thing that helps me (and has helped for a very long time now) is to start by assessing what you can while the baby is asleep - this is a wonderful time to count RR. Since newborns are obligate nose breathers, you should be able to put your hand on their tummy and feel the rise/fall. Then I count HR. You can feel fontanels, clavicles, feel for femoral pulses, listen for bowel sounds, and count fingers/toes while they're asleep too. Checking reflexes will likely wake them up, at which point you can do a temp. Then I check their spine, genitalia, and I can look at/feeltheir palate while they're screaming. I let them suck on my finger for a bit while I feel around in there, feeling for natal teeth or gum cysts, and by then I wrap them back up. Job done, and hopefully they're settled back down after sucking a bit. I may have left out a couple things, but I think you get the idea. That's the basic. As with anything, knowing inside out what's normal helps a great deal. Good luck! I think you will find you like it. I like couplet care - agree with the other posters that it's a better, easier way to do things. :)

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