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.
What would you do? I would personally make a phone call to the other hospital to see if it is possible for her to be able to see baby theo, as the situation she is in must be so difficult as a mother to have your baby taken away from you as soon as you have given birth. She will be really upset and distraught and probably suffering from separation anxiety and I would do what I could in that situation to put the patient first and look into the options that were available.
Q2: Sarah is still on the ward away from her new-born baby. As you walk past you can see that the curtains are around the bed space are closed and you can hear crying. No other staff are around.
What would you do? In this situation I would 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. She is clearly going through a really difficult time and as a nurse I want to let her know we are here for her and want to support in any way possible and sometimes listening can be one of the best things that a patient needs because they can feel so isolated and alone. Once she has discussed her concerns and why she is upset we can come up with a plan of action and work together to get Sarah fit and healthy ready to see Theo.
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.
What would you do? I would 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. Choosing the other options will only upset the patient more, as we have to understand that all she wants to do is see her baby and we have to appreciate her wishes and what she is going through… the best thing to do is explain why she is being kept on this ward and that we want to get her better ready to see her baby.
