Q1: Sarah asks you if she can see her baby again. You kindly arranged a video call an hour ago as Baby Theo is still in another hospital.
A1: Make a phone call to the other hospital to see if this is possible, as you know this is a difficult situation and must be hard for Sarah.
providing good quality care means being empathetic. there’s no harm in checking if Sarah is able to video-call Theo and it would be nice for Sarah to see Theo as well as for Theo to keep hearing his mother’s voice

Q2: Sarah is still on the ward away from her new-born baby. As you walk past you can see that the curtains around the bed space are closed and you can hear crying. No other staff are around.
A2: Ask Sarah if you can come into the bed space and offer to support her. Listen to her concerns and put a plan of action in place for how her concerns can be better managed.
listening to patients is good person-centred care therefore asking for consent before entering is respecting Sarah’s autonomy and listening to her concerns means you are prioritising people.

Q3: Sarah calls you over and informs you that she is going to self-discharge and go to see her baby at the local hospital.
A3: Explain to Sarah that it would not be in her best interests to leave the hospital at the moment due to her current medication, post-operative condition and health. Agree to have a chat with her and the ward manager about how you can facilitate more contact with Baby Theo to ensure they are bonding as much as possible.
Doing this would preserve Sarah’s safety, prevent harm and keep both Sarah’s and Theo’s best interest at the centre of the care provided.