Today I cared for a 23 weeker. In report this morning, I was told that the infant has a stage IV IVH, which the parents are unaware of (the child is 9 days old, the MD has known about the IVH since DOL #2, according to the MD's dictation in the chart). During rounds this morning I asked if the parents knew about the IVH and (when told that they did not) asked when they would be informed (and by whom: the MD, NNP, or me). I was told by the NNP and another nurse that the parents wouldn't be told about it because there was no treatment that would be performed.
I was stunned, and at a total loss for words. :angryfire As a new grad, am I just being naive? I just assumed that it was the right of every single parent to know exactly what was going on with their child...If I were in the parents' shoes, I would like to know about the IVH...
I broached the subject with my preceptor (I'm about half-way through my orientation period), and was told that it was up to the MD; since the MD didn't feel it needed to be mentioned to the parents, the nurse should not mention it to the parents.
When the parents visited this evening, I did not mention the bleed. I feel horrible about it...I guess to me it's kind of like "lying by omission". Am I being too hard on myself? Am I being to hard on the MD?
