Photo By Douglas Stutz | Intrepid Trio of L&D…(L to R) Registered Nurses (RN) Amylisa Myers, Camilla Bowman...... read more read more
It’s not often that Labor and Delivery nurses conduct measurements in inches instead of centimeters.
Such was the case during a recent winter storm, which blanketed the Pacific Northwest with near record snow and icy conditions over the long President’s Day weekend.
The inclement weather conditions led a handful of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Bremerton Labor and Delivery staff to stay after their shift ended to continue providing patient-centered care to admitted patients, thus limiting other staff members from dealing with hazardous road conditions.
“They stayed overnight, in the hospital, during the snow storm to ensure that the patients would be taken care of for the next shift and in case they weren’t able to make it back in due to the snow. Even our ward clerk stayed the night,” said Lt. Keerstin Whitefield, NMRTC Bremerton 4OB department head.
Those who stayed on duty were Lt. j.g. Natalie Arriaga, Registered Nurse (RN) Camilla Bowman, RN Amylisa Myers, RN Barbara Remedios, RN Robin Singer, and ward clerk Frank Torres.
“We knew we could get home before the weather got worse, but that it wouldn’t be as easy getting back into work to relieve our co-workers. It was our responsibility to handle the need and take control caring for our patients,” Myers said.
“It just made sense to stay on and it was good to know that if I was staying, I was not alone,” added Remedios.
All prospective patients were contacted prior to the storm arrival, informing them that although Labor and Delivery would be open and available, if they truly didn’t feel they needed to come in, to continue to closely monitor their pregnancy and stay safe at home.
“We did have a patient come in who delivered on that Sunday, a valentine day baby,” remarked Myers.
NMRTC Bremerton’s Labor and Delivery delivered 396 babies in 2020, and a baby is ready, the L&D staff are always prepared to help with the birthing process.
“We worked ‘port and starboard’ shifts. It’s what we do, always ensuring we had enough of us available at any time,” noted Remedios.
Despite the precautionary steps taken to limit the need for others to come in, there were those who made the trek in for their work shift, such as Suzanne Pichler.
“They also deserve a lot of credit just for making the drive when the roads weren’t that safe,” Remedios said.
Despite the additional time spent on duty, there were opportunities to stretch their legs, take a well-deserved break, and get out of Labor and Delivery to witness – and measure - the results of the winter storm.
“Yes, the snow in places outside our hospital was up to 10 inches,” exclaimed Remedios.
There was some regret in pulling the back to back shifts.
“Being away from home is always hard,” Remedios said.
“I missed family playing in the snow,” mentioned Myers.
According to a metric conversion chart, those 10 inches of snow actually equate to 25.4 centimeters (cm) on the metric system.
Trust Labor and Delivery nurses to know the difference, one measurement at a time.
| Date Taken: | 02.24.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2021 18:02 |
| Story ID: | 389773 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 230 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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