calling all mom/baby nurses!
My question is... how to do ya'll juggle 4+ couplets?!?!? tips? tricks?
Yikes! That's a lot of couplets.
Yes, it is! And that's with CA ratios. Some hospitals try to keep the nurses 1:3 couplets but it's not the norm.
That is unsafe staffing. AWHONN does not recommend more than 3 couplets and even less if they are higher acuity. Perhaps you need to bring this recommendation to your department leader.
Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, management as well as administration does not care what the ACOG and AWHONN recommendations and are. It's the sad truth.
I’ve worked in places with 4 couplets is doable depending on the acuity. I’ve work in a hospital where the pts were mostly vag deliveries and quite stable 4 couplets were the norm it was busy but worked out. I’ve worked the same where the couplets were super busy and some sick and it was a nightmare
I have been maternity nurse for about 9 years. The trick to managing your patients is to make them independent... take extra time when you first walk into the room and tell them the plan for the day: ex: hearing test will be done at bedside, Medicaid personnel will come at noon to start the application process, birth certificate personnel will come after 11 to process everything. This way they are not calling you into the room to ask when is this or when is that going to be done along with questions you don’t know the answer to. Next. DO NOT... do anything the parents can do by themselves...instead, educate them to become independent. Ex: pt calls you: please come to change or feed my baby: come over and very lovingly and patiently tell them: ok mommy I am so happy you asked for assistance I will train you now and make you and expert(be nice and bubbly), hand over the baby to parent and while they have hands on the baby you instruct them what to do. Remember!!! Don’t be rude or annoyed... be loving and patient... this women’s hormones are crazy and she will burst into tears if you give them attitude and then you will be in trouble... lastly... involve e dad, !!..make him feel important and tell them dad! You are the best one on this floor! Never seen a man so handy with his baby, I think we need to hire you!! Give him responsibility so the wife ( your actual patient) can rest. If they resist just remind them I need to make sure and evaluate that you know how to care for your baby before you get discharge... .. I I am here to show you how to do it all and you will be confident being alone with your baby after you are discharged!! The more the parents do for themselves the less you will be called into those rooms and plus: it is no lie the fact that before discharge they must be independently taking care of their own baby!!! Good luck and be loving! Be patient!
All great advice
All great advice
We are 4:1 at my job. 95% of the time it’s very doable. The only time it gets truly overwhelming is when we don’t have lactation support or CNA on the floor (common at night where I am) We do all tasks required for baby to discharge including weighing, bathing, Newborn Screen, etc. Time management and bundling care is important.
