As a last resort like in the case of hypoglycemia, I could understand and
support these actions, after the breast has been offered. Otherwise, is
this not similar to not following a diet order?  Read incident report?  Why
aren't their managers and their peers telling them this is wrong!?  This
isn't a training problem. It's a performance problem!

If a nurse, however, had deviated from hospital policy on medication
administration, for example,  she would have had an incident report filled
out on her.  If it caused actual or potential harm to the pateint, the case
would be referred to her peers and quite possibly reported to the state
board of nursing.

Unfortunately, in some places I have worked too, some nurses did not view
breastfeeding as important. It was easier to give a baby a bottle of
artifical baby milk than to help a woman breastfeed.  Also, solving
breastfeeding problems was taken seriously by no one but me and a handful
of other nurses.  I hear where many of you are coming from.

After 4 years as the manager of a hospital education department, I've
definitely come to believe that you can train people until you are blue in
the face. I can teach til my jaw, hands, and breasts fall off (you know
they come in handy when teaching about BF)!  Training alone isn't going to
do the job of discontinuing poor nursing practice. If policy isn't enforced
by management and pressure isn't put on the nurse from their peers that
this or any deviation in standard practice is WRONG, then it will continue.
Otherwise, what are the consequences for these professionals?

Steaming mad

Maurenne Griese, RNC, BSN, CCE, CBE
Manhattan, KS  USA