Mary Crum
September 2021
Mary R
Crum
,
BSN, RNC
NICU
Winter Haven Women's Hospital - BayCare Health System
Winter Haven
,
FL
United States

 

 

 

Mary briefly stopped their IV fluids, dressed them, and wrapped them in warm blankets. She then took the babies to the room where the mom was recovering.
There are not many people who know what nurses in Women’s Services really do. Some are even locked behind doors with patients that need a lot of care and attention. Some of these patients have many medical issues. The nurses behind the locked doors are very special and make life long bonds with the families of those they care for. Imagine having a plan that your babies are going to be born next week. The plan is to have a c-section the following Friday, but plans change and when you go for your follow-up appointment and your three babies will be born today because your blood pressure is too high. This patient was told her triplets would be born at 34 weeks instead of 35 weeks which would make them preterm and therefore they would require a higher level of care. The patient had a beautiful birthday party in the operating room for her two little girls and little boy. They all came out screaming, but they were quite small. The patient and her husband were elated that their triplets were born, and were healthy. As the evening went on and the babies were being closely monitored, the patient’s blood pressure continued to creep up - partly due to carrying three babies close to term and partly from the anxiety of her babies requiring close and constant monitoring. Mary found out that the patient was upset and her blood pressure had not gotten any better since the delivery. Mary decided to have an intervention for the mom. Mary briefly stopped their IV fluids, dressed them, and wrapped them in warm blankets. She then took the babies to the room where the mom was recovering. The patient was ecstatic! She was able to hold her three new babies without the hustle of the OR staff and in a more controlled atmosphere. She spent some time with her new babies before they had to go back to be monitored. Mary’s actions not only relieved a mother’s anxiety but also helped to lower her blood pressure. There is something very special about the nurses behind the locked doors at WHWH. They start out as a stranger caring for a new baby and end up friends and families with many. Thank you Mary for a difference for this mom and her triplets.