Is Regional ER Adequately Prepared to Safely Care for Laboring Women?ĬNA has also raised concerns that the courses may not adequately prepare ER staff for acute neonatal clinical emergencies and potential complications that can be life-threatening to both the mother and her fetus, with OB/GYN physicians only “on call,” and a hospital that will no longer have a neo-natal intensive care unit. And, Regional’s chief nurse officer last week told the union that training for ER nurses, who have never delivered a baby, would not even be completed until the end of June, a full month after the closure. Regional ER RNs have voiced concerns that “they will be expected to provide care that is outside the scope of their competency and training,” wrote CNA/NNU. ![]() Births, C-Sections, and maternal health patient discharges at Regional in 2019 were the highest in five years. Regional is one of only three designated trauma centers covering all of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. With long travel times, especially on public transit for the high number of low income residents in Regional’s service area, it is probable many laboring women would end up in Regional’s ER, especially as the hospital continues to advertise a complete package of care in its “all new Family Birthing Center.” Regional late last week informed CNA its “goal ideally is that no laboring patients would come to RMC.” Yet the hospital has not provided details of where else the patients should go for care. Laboring Women Still Likely to Come to Regional ER for Birthing Care In a letter to the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Director Jackie Lowther May 13, CNA warned that “not all trauma patients who are sent to Regional because of its Trauma II designation will be able to safely access the care that they need” under the threatened closure.ĬNA/NNU called on the EMS, which certifies trauma center designation, to hold Regional “accountable” to “maintain all necessary services to provide safe and competent trauma care.”Ĭalifornia regulations require a hospital provide OB/GYN services “staffed by qualified specialists,” access to pediatric intensive care and other safety specifications. “An ER is where lives must be saved, not lost,” said CNA President Malinda Markowitz, RN. “HCA must ensure the health safety of our future mothers and their families, and the entire East San Jose community by keeping its mother-child services open.” Trauma designation means a hospital is equipped and staffed to provide emergency medical care, including birthing care. Registered nurses at Regional have warned for weeks that elimination of its Women’s Services may put laboring women and their newborns in danger, especially as many are likely to end up in Regional’s ER which nurses say is not properly prepared to provide the birthing services specified for trauma centers by California law. With the closure of mother-child services at Regional Medical Center of San Jose now just two weeks away, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United has asked Santa Clara County to review if HCA and Regional can meet their commitment under its Level II Trauma designation to safely care for laboring women and their newborns. California RN-to-Patient Staffing Ratios.
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