Agency Nursing & Needless C/Sections

Some nurses thrive in agency nurse assignments.  I usually didn't mind them. 

I was ok with it for approximately 2 years, but after working at several hospitals across the border, I threw in the towel and chose the one hospital that I really wanted to work at - and left the agency.

I wasn't allowed (by signed contract) to work for any hospital I had been contracted to work for at least 6 months so I waited the obligatory months - then applied at my favorite hospital.

What did I like about that particular hospital?  It offered women a little more freedom in labor and also the choice of midwives. The OBs were quite good and a little more relaxed than the other hospitals I worked at. "Epidural rules" were a little less stringent.  They didn't rush to the OR. The group of nurses I worked with were wonderful.

This wasn't the case with all the hospitals.

 There was one teaching hospital amongst my assignments that I found way too restrictive to the moms during labor. You would never see the mom's roaming the halls while laboring.   They had medical students and residents galore and it seemed to me that the patient hardly saw the actual OBs during their stay - which would have been ok if the decisions made about the patients were actually discussed with the patient and the nurse.   In fact, most of the time - from what I observed - in the OR - the OB didn't even scrub in - the one I saw just threw on a gown over top what he was wearing and yelled orders from the door holding a mask over his face.

Here is what I experienced:

I was part way through my orientation with an RN/Midwife (licensed from another state so not a practising midwife) and the woman was laboring in the tub with the waterproof fetal monitoring system.   The strip looked excellent. Mom was working hard.  Progressing.  Doing well. Coping well.  The strip was reassuring.... a couple of dips but nothing alarming.  Then - all of a sudden - a resident struts in - looks at the strip - then walks out.  Didn't say a thing to us. The next thing I knew, a STAT C/S was ordered.....

I looked at the other nurse I was orientating with in disbelief.  I could see she was puzzled.  I asked why -   but any discussion was overruled by the countless flow of people in and out -  the decision was made - and the poor mother was coerced into signing the consents with horrible scenarios as to what could happen to her baby - and she was whisked away to the OR on the unit and subjected to a c/s.

At the nurses' station I looked at the strip.  I swear - not ONE thing on that strip that warranted a C/S never mind a STAT C/S.  I showed the strip to another nurse I had met there - one from the same province as myself - one that I later would end up working with back in BC.......and told her - "Take a look at this strip. Do you see anything on here c/section worthy???"

She looked it over.....and shook her head.  "They sectioned her? What reason did they give?"

Me: "Fetal Distress"

She:  "Well - if they think that strip shows fetal distress - there are going to be a lot of sectioned women here"

Me: "I know.  Sad.  Know what?   If this is the way they operate....I don't think I can work here."

"Ya" she agreed. " I have another month and I am done too"

That same day I phoned up the Agency.  They tried to tell me that I had signed an agreement to work at that particular hospital for 3 months.   I told them I didn't care what was agreed to or signed.  I wasn't working anywhere where they would have me taking care of women that needless surgery was being performed on without proper discussion and explanation and reason.  It was a matter of principle.

I quit.

I just couldn't do it.  After working in a province that allowed so much freedom to the woman in labor, I just couldn't go back to the restrictive environment in that place.