I'm into another controversy ( will she ever learn...???)
In our hospital NICU has visiting hours at 11:30 am and 7:30 pm.  Parents (no
one else besides parents and a religious leader, if requested can come in) are
not welcome at any other time.  Moms with babies in intensive care who are well
enough to breastfeed can enter to feed during the day and evening (not night)
shift.  If baby cannot leave NICU to go the the breastfeeding room, Dad cannot
come in to help support Mom.

This week a newly delivered mom stood outside the Nursery crying while the
nurses told her she needed to wait until visiting hours (20 minutes).  She had
just been told the baby was transferred to NICU, and her imagination was running
away with her - she was visualizing ventilators, tubes everywhere, etc.  (Her
baby's problem was a bili of 6 at 12 hours, AB-O incompatibility was blamed,
baby put in NICU under lights and bf suspended.)  Once she saw her baby, she
relaxed and did fine, pumped, and we are awaiting permission from the powers
that be for bf to be allowed ...

The staff here feels that they need to schedule procedures to be done on the
babies which would be distressing for parents to see, so they need to keep them
out.  My question is:  why do only Nursery/NICU nurses have the priviledge of
doing procedures without someone who can advocate for the patient?

I can understand if there is an emergency - in any hospital room if you are in a
semi-private room and your neighbor needs to have a procedure done, your family
must leave.

I'd like to make some suggestions of changes, but need some support - what
policies do your NICU's have?  Am I being Don Quijote against the Windmills
again???

Jeanette Panchula BSW, RN, IBCLC
Puerto Rico