Esther wrote on 2/9:  "Could you share some tips on how you intend to teach
your colleagues??  I have to do another
in-service soon and would really like some great concrete ideas on how to
teach the nurses to asses a latch, given that they have very little time
with the mother."  

Last year, when I was training the nurses as part of our Baby Friendly
program, I taught positioning and latch skills.  I spent approximately 30
minutes with each nurse.  I worked with them during their shifts when they
had a slow period.  I brought them into an empty patient room either one or
two at a time.  Using a baby doll I would have the nurse pretend that she
was the mother.  She tried to position the baby in a cradle hold, a
cross-cradle hold, a football hold and lying on her side.  By practicing
these skills herself, she was then better able to get a sense of what these
positions were like for the mothers.  Then I worked with them on getting a
good asymmetrical latch.  This technique was news to many of them.

I was so very pleased when the nurses would approach me a few days after the
training sessions to say, "I tried the techniques you taught me and they
really work!"

Our hospital had approximately 150 nurses in L&D, couplet care and NICU.  As
you can imagine, this was a time-consuming process for me.  I had to work
odd hours so that I could train both the day shift and the night shift. But
as more and more nurses attended the training, I noticed that more patients
were being instructed in good positioning and latch techniques.

============================================
Ellen A. Steinberg, RN, LCCE, IBCLC
Tarzana, CA




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