"Our focus is family centered care". - T. Laurens, RN

"Bronson's desire to set the bar higher brings the best of benefits and nursing staff to us." - J. Smith, RNC

Scope of Service

Overview:

• Size of the unit:
  • The Labor and Delivery area consists of a 12 bed LDR area, a 7 bed triage area, a 2 bed OR and 4 bed recovery area.
  • The Antepartum area has 10 beds.
  • The Mother-Baby area has 30 beds.
• Source of the patients: Patients are admitted directly from home, care provider’s offices, by referral from regional hospitals or from the Trauma and Emergency Center.

Types and Ages of Patients Served:

• Primary Population: Obstetrical patients from 18 weeks through delivery depending on admission reason and newborns during the early neonatal period.
• General age of your population: Newborns and women of childbearing years. Occasional female patients past the childbearing years may be cared for with general gynecology surgery.

Description of Internal and External Customers:

Internal customers served include other nursing units, physicians, patients, families, and all ancillary departments of the hospital. External customers we serve include, but are not limited to: Home health care services, medical supply companies, other contracted medical service companies, outlying hospitals, and the local community.

Conditions and Diagnosis Treated:

Bronson is recognized as a Regional Perinatal Center for obstetrical services. Multiple obstetrical conditions with or without complications are treated including vaginal and Caesarean births, pre-term labor, diabetes, premature rupture of membranes, hyperemesis, infectious processes, pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, pregnancy induced hypertension, abruptio placenta, and placenta previa. High risk pregnancies with co-morbidities are managed through our perinatology service. Comprehensive neonatal services are provided to the infant and can include transfer to the neonatal intensive care area if indicated. Neonatal hypoglycemia, hypothermia and hyperbilirubinemia are treated and circumcision is offered. Services are also provided in the triage area as a screening process to determine whether admission or treatment and discharge is appropriate.

Types of Services and Care Provided:

Direct patient care is provided for the laboring woman with ability to provide Caesarean section as necessary. Family centered care services are provided for obstetrical patients of any age throughout the antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum stages of pregnancy. Care is also provided to newborns including assessment and direct care. Multiple procedures are performed on the units, such as induction of labor, epidural anesthesia, sterile vaginal exams, intravenous access, specimen collection, medication administration and diagnostic screenings. Family education including antepartal, post delivery and newborn care teaching is provided. The unit provides lactation resourced to mothers via a certified lactation consultant providing in-house support to patients as well as outpatient consultation.

The nursing care is provided by a team consisting of:

• On the L&D unit, RNs are involved in direct patient care and LPNs are utilized in a scrub nurse capacity and also as a second circulator on vaginal deliveries under direct supervision of the RN.
• On the Antepartum unit, care is provided by an all RN staff
• On the Mother –Baby unit care is provided by either an RN or by a team approach of RN and LPN under the direct supervision of the RN. A PCA may be used to provide assistance under the direct supervision of the RN/
• Orientees complete a competency based orientation program and begin their OB experience with at least one year on the Mother –Baby unit before beginning orientation to the Antepartum or Labor and Delivery area.

The medical care for the obstetrical patient is provided by private obstetricians ,family practice physicians, certified nurse midwives, perinatologists, and clinic based services as well. Medical care for the neonate is provided by both private and clinic type settings of pediatricians and family practice providers. Pediatric and Family Practice residency programs are in place and help to manage care 24 hours a day, seven days a week under the supervision of the attending physician. Neonatology support is present at all times within the Women’s and Children’s area. Specialists are available, on a referral basis, to provide care to the obstetrical and neonatal patients such as cardiologists, surgeons, psychiatrists, infectious disease specialists, orthopedists ,and plastic surgeons. Twenty-four hour anesthesia service is present to provide general, spinal and epidural options.

Other multi-disciplinary team members involved in the care of the patient include but are not limited to social workers, dieticians, physical and occupational therapists, case managers, chaplain services, and pharmacists.

Sites Where Services and Care is Provided:

Lab draws, portable x-rays, and pulse oximetry treatments are performed on the unit. Depending on patient condition, ultrasounds and other tests may be performed on the unit.

Times When Services & Care is Provided:

Care is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.