The ability to provide this kind of care is one of the greatest strengths certified nurse-midwives bring to the communities they serve, especially in busy hospitals where the healthcare needs of women and their newborns are great and the demands on providers’ time are high.
Struggling to increase patient safety, decrease costs, and optimize productivity while maintaining good health outcomes, hospitals are increasingly turning to nurse-midwives. Meanwhile, many community OB/GYN providers are reducing their OB call due to burnout and quality of life issues, increased liability insurance premiums, and fear of litigation. Resident work-hours have decreased due to safety concerns and mandated work limits. There is a need for providers who can care for laboring women in the hospital setting, providing continuity and quality of service during their hospital admission. On-site CNM laborists fill in the gap.
Increase Safety and Quality
Having a laborist on board in the OB/GYN department of the hospital helps Yaacov Zamel, MD, a pediatric hospitalist at St. Mary’s, by allowing him to establish a working relationship with someone whose availability and practice patterns he can rely on. He also notes that this improves care for the women and babies. “The better the support for OB, the better it is for newborns. Ultimately, more patients will want to come here,” says Dr. Zamel.
Dr. Nwadike agrees that having a nurse-midwife on staff increases patient safety and the quality of care. “In our community, we needed help specifically with coverage for hospital patients and procedures, and Baker’s skills are the perfect match,” says Dr. Nwadike. “Now she is an invaluable resource and can do all of those things, as well as provide ED triage, care for unassigned patients, or manage precipitous deliveries. As a continuous presence on labor and delivery, she is a great resource for patients and can provide them with more depth, more education. There are really limitless possibilities for her role to expand.”
As experts in caring for healthy women and their newborns, with a history of achieving excellent perinatal outcomes while caring for underserved populations, certified nurse-midwives are ideal healthcare providers for women who arrive at hospitals seeking quality care. “Working as a laborist, I enjoy being able to use all of my skills. That has been very exciting,” says Baker.
At 4:30 p.m., Baker wraps up for the day. The community OB/GYN on call arrives from his office to assume care for a laboring patient on his panel. Baker updates him on the woman’s status, than wraps the patient in a warm parting hug. TH