Shifts
How many shifts should you sign up for per month?
2
These medical professionals evaluate patients, administer treatments and medications, monitor vitals and equipment, and work with doctors to implement care plans.
We <3 nurses!
What organ is responsible for labor contractions?
The uterus
What is dilation?
How the cervix opens during labor to allow the baby to pass through the birth canal (0 cm is closed, 10 cm is fully open)
How do we typically do aromatherapy?
Dampen a towel, add a few drops of essential oil, rub it in, and hang over bed
Oh no... you're sick on the day you have a shift! What two things should you do?
Email edlsvolunteers@gmail.com and text in the GroupMe!
Name 3 things that Labor Support Volunteers are allowed to do!
Emotional support, physical support, companionship, movement, aromatherapy, snacks or ice (if allowed)
What organ acts as the baby's lungs, kidneys, and liver until birth?
What is it called when a patient gets a numbing medication injected into their lower back?
An epidural
Why might someone have a C-section over a vaginal birth?
Fetal distress, abnormal position, cord prolapse, difficult past delivery, separation of placenta, ecclampsia, dystocia
It's lunchtime! Where do you eat your lunch?
The break room or anywhere that isn't the nurses' station
Name 2 tasks that the charge nurse is responsible for.
Manage staff, give report, unit operations, patient safety, scheduling, education
What does it mean if a baby is breech?
It's upside down
What is gestation, and typically how long is it?
The period of developing inside the womb between conception and birth. It's typically 38-42 weeks!
Give an example of something you should NOT say to a patient.
"Your baby is ugly," "why does it look like that," medical advice, being rude, offensive, making assumptions
What's the first thing you should do once you get to your shift?
Sign in with the blue binder!
Who are trained health professionals that provide medical care during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum?
HINT: not a nurse, often work with low-risk pregnancies and may have experience with alternative labor options!
Midwives
What is happening when a patient says her "water broke?"
The amniotic sac around the baby ruptures, causing a release of fluid
What is effacement of the cervix?
When the cervix thins and softens in preparation for the baby's head to pass through
Why might it be helpful to keep a journal during shifts?
Keep track of patient progress, remind yourself about details, manage multiple patients, future reference
You have some downtime on your shift! List 3 things you can do.
Ask the nurses if there's anything you can help with, ask charge nurse to keep you updated, work on homework, read, learn more about maternity care
What are 3 things that specifically OB/GYNs or obstetricians do?
Deliver babies, perform surgeries such as C-sections, manage high-risk pregnancies, interpret scans, work independently!
What happens during the third and last stage of labor?
Surprise... not the baby. It's the placenta that is delivered at this point!
What do G and P stand for on the tracking board?
Gravidity (# of times a women has been pregnant) and parity (# of times a woman has given birth)
What is the code to the locker room?
2300*