Hi, Martha:  Does your hospital have computer charting?  If so, look at
what is available to you for breastfeeding.  It will be under
endocrine/nutrition or lactation education.  Our hospital uses the Eclypsis
documentation program and as much as I hate computers, charting is much
more concise and a whole lot less time-consuming than paper charting.  The
LC charts under the mother in 4 areas - education, care plan, progress
note, and assessment (both feeding and breasts).  Shortly after I started
here, I sat down with our clinical informatics manager (an RN) and told her
what I wanted in breastfeeding charting - she was able to add my requests
to the program.  This allows me to do "canned" charting on the routine
stuff, but yet allows me the option of doing more extensive documentation
in unusual circumstances.  We only document on baby if there is an unusual
circumstance - SCN baby, medical issues, etc.  The reason we do mom is
because we do primarily teaching of the mother.  It is an ongoing struggle
to bring the staff on board, although things are starting to change.  It is
the responsibility of the PP admitting nurse to begin brstfdg teaching,
start the brstfdg care plan, and to do an initial breast and feeding
assessment.  In the past, documentation "waited" for the LC.  I also
require everyone to document at least one breast and feeding assessment per
shift, with the day shift having at least 2 such documentations, one by the
staff and one by the LC.
Remember the old adage...IF YOU DIDN'T DOCUMENT IT, YOU DIDN'T DO IT!

Pam Hirsch, RN,BSN,CLC
Clinical Lead, Lactation Services
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Barrington, IL   USA

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html