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The Obstetric unit has been designed with 6 LDRP (Labor / Delivery / Recovery / Postpartum ) rooms, all within close proximity to the nurses’ station. This arrangement enhances our ability to respond rapidly to patient or family needs throughout the birth experience. The unit is equipped with state-of-the-art monitors. These monitors provide a greater monitoring capability through sensors that can monitor the fetal heart rate in a wider range, reducing the interruption to reposition the monitor on the mother’s abdomen. Each of these monitors is equipped to monitor twins, provide continuous maternal ECG (heart rhythm patterns), oxygen levels and blood pressures. In the past each of these functions required additional machinery at the bedside. The comprehensive information from each of these monitors is displayed through a central system at the nurses’ station so the nursing staff can simultaneously evaluate the well-being of all laboring patients and their unborn child(ren) without unnecessarily
disturbing them. The information is also displayed at the bedside. The monitors have a telemetry unit, which relays the information to a bedside unit for continuous monitoring while a patient enjoys increased mobility and freedom to select an activity, such as walking in the hallways, that is more relaxing for them during labor.
Each delivery area has a warmer to provide a safe temperature-controlled environment for the newborn infant’s immediate care. These units are near the bedside where the parents can observe the care their newborn receives in those important first minutes of life in the world beyond the womb.
Cesarean sections will be performed in the surgical room located in the heart of the obstetric department. Following a Cesarean section, the new mother can remain in the obstetric unit for continued care by the experienced OB staff.
 The newborn nursery is visible from the family and visitor waiting area and the main hallway into the OB unit. Friends and neighbors can come and view the infants any time the infants are in the nursery. Many of the parents prefer to have the infants in the room with them as much as possible. All of the rooms are private with private bathrooms. This is a vast improvement from the unit at Elko General Hospital where up to 4 mothers would share a single bathroom and shower. The rooms also have a “sleep chair”, so a spouse or significant support person is able to stay at the bedside and have more opportunity to bond with the newborn and share in these precious first days of life.
With the understanding that many of the infants will be in the patient room rather than the newborn nursery we have implemented several measures to provide a secure environment for the young family. All of the newborns receive an identification band immediately following delivery, prior to leaving the delivery area, and a corresponding band is placed on the wrist of the mother and her designated support person, usually the father of the baby. Individuals with matching bands are the only persons who can receive the infant from the nursery. Additionally, an electronic security system monitors the location of each infant. Should an infant be located in the immediate vicinity of an exit, the exits would lock and an alarm sounds in the unit. Cameras have been installed near the major exits to the unit to enable the staff to observe the exit hallways. The camera located at the unit’s entrance allows staff members to identify family members so we can greet them and assist them, as needed, during their visit.
All of the private postpartum rooms are 304 sq. ft, which is considerably larger than the 216 square foot double occupancy rooms currently available at Elko General Hospital. The labor rooms have 330 square feet of space. Each of these rooms have large windows to provide abundant natural light and a spectacular view of the countryside.
Listen to OB Dept. Questions & Answers [MP3 Files]
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