Yay Nurses!

So I'm a week off - this is a quick little tidbit from my maternity clinical last week.

I saw a C-section and tubal ligation (getting her tubes tied! Except at REX, they actually just clamped them shut with little metal clamps that they leave in you...interesting) of a Mom - 4th baby, 4th boy, 3rd C-section.

Needless to say, we're in the recovery room; the nurse is doing assessments and taking vitals and doing lochia checks (ladies, check THAT one out! pregnancy is SO much fun), and the doctor walks in for the first time to talk to the Mom after he finished the surgery.

Doc: "So while I was in there, I found some blood clots in the veins that lead to your uterus, so I'm going to start you on a medication to help with that. Okay?"

Patient: " Is that normal? How long will I have to take it?"

Doc: "Not a big deal because when you're pregnant you're more likely to clot, but still enough of a problem that I actually saw them. And I'll have you take it for a few days. Okay, have a great day! Congratulations!"

[Doc leaves room]

Patient to Nurse: "Soo.....what? I have blood clots?"

In nursing school they're always talking about how patients trust the nurses and rely on nurses for clarifying information, explanation, education and the like. Not that I have anything against doctors, almost all that I've worked with so far have been fabulous. But this particular exchange wasn't done in the most tactful manner I'd ever seen (quick, pretty vague, etc), so it was cool to kind of see this seeking for clarification/revealing a sense of trust in the nurse in action. I mean, he hadn't been gone for five seconds, and the patient looked to the nurse for answers. Since they put such a stress on patient education and creating rapport with patients, it was nice to see it carried out. (By the way, the nurse's explanation was more thorough...and calm, so it calmed the patient and husband down a bit).

So...yay Nurses!

But yay for the doctor too, since he, despite his lack of bedside manner in this instance, performed the C-section and brought her handsome baby boy into the world!

Peace Out Cub Scout!

E