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Expectant and Postpartum Moms
SIBLEY MATERNITY NURSES SUCK! SIBLEY ISN'T THE ROLLS ROYCE OF HOSPITALS.............
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Anonymous
Uh, the US does not have first rate medical care, especially for babies. We rate dead last for infant mortality in the modern progressive world. There are dozens and dozens of countries well ahead of us in this department. Its people like you who lie down and take it like a dog that perpetuates mediocrity. Go visit a 3rd world country, why do people never complain? Its not that they are so grateful for the shitty crumbs they get, its that they've given up, things have gotten so miserable and the outrage falls on deaf ears and they just let the tides take them wherever they land, even it if is hell on earth. A perfect example is Zimbabwe; it used to be a wonderful and prosperous crown jewel in Africa and now it is a miserable place full of beaten down people with little hope and forgotten dreams. Complaining and outrage is what keeps businesses and government on their toes and YES a hospital is a business that makes a lot of money and we are the customers |
Anonymous
I'm pretty sure I filled out surveys about both births at Sibley, and I did complain about several nurses by name. You should ask for a survey when you're leaving the hospital. And maybe someone could call and find out how they're distributed. |
Anonymous
maybe I am the exception, but in my case my baby WASN'T fine. And neither was I. I was treated as if I had an infectious desease, when compassion, empathy and understanding would have been appropriate. when my son's lung collapsed I had just been given a sleeping pill by the nurse (after asking for it 2 hours prior, I had been up for nearly 48 hours at that point) and the pediatrician told me as if it was not a big deal. The nurse never checked on how I was doing with that information although she knew I was by myself. sorry but I found the experience traumatizing and was terrified of giving birth to my daughter. it turned out to be the most wonderful experience. I don't feel entitled to anything. But I do know when someone is cold and doesn't care anymore. |
Anonymous
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I will be delivering at Sibley at the end of July. These posts are getting me a little scared. Is there anyone reading this that had a good experience? Or is mediocre and hit-or-miss the best anyone has experienced recently?
If it's any comfort, I delivered at Sibley this past Saurday evening & had a fine experience. I did have to share a room, which was a bit of a drag, but I had already planned to send my husband home, so that part wasn't too bad for us. This was also my second & I had a vaginal birth, so I was a relatively low maintenance patient. I felt worse for my roommate who was a new Mom (and very nice and respectful that she had a roommate). It's just so much easier & less stressful the second time around. They did manage to transfer both me & my roommate to private rooms by the following afternoon, which was nice. I think the keys to delivering at Sibley are (1) mentally prepare for the possibility that you might have to share a room for a night or two; and (2) be prepared to be a strong advocate for yourself -- and to have your partner do the same when they're around. In my experience, all the nurses were really nice, just incredibly overworked and hence not super responsive. You really have to be assertive about telling them what you need. Luckily, because I didn't have a C-section, I could (and did) walk out to the nurses station when my call button requests weren't responded to in short order. In fact, this is probably necessary no matter where you deliver. I had the same experience with non-responsive nurses when I delivered at GW with my first, though GW does have all private rooms, which is great. I did fill out a survey, by the way, and explained the responsiveness problems. Not sure how much it matters, though, given the nursing shortage. Oh, also, like many PPs, my experience in Labor & Delivery was awesome. My nurse (Aimee) was FABULOUS, even though also overworked and exhausted, because I arrived towards the end of her shift, still super supportive and really helped get me through labor. I also found, compared to GW, that Sibley had better lactation resources and, of course, no med students, which was also nice. Also far better security. So, every hospital has its pros & cons. |
Anonymous
| Sibley sounds scary- I didn;t LOVE (though some parts like laor and delivery were good- and some post partum nurses were god) anyh of my Fairfax Hospital nurses- but do speak up-I had to with a lousy nurse one shift- and I then got taken care of- just ask for the nurse in charge- it's like any company/store- speak uo- you're not there for so long so make sure you get you and your babies needs met! |
Anonymous
| I'd echo 14:11's comments; I've delivered at Sibley twice (both vaginal) and think she has hit it on the nose. Overall positive experiences, but self-advocacy made a big difference. I think this is true at all hospitals, though. |
Anonymous
I delivered at Fairfax INOVA and the nurses were FANTASTIC - always quick to respond, always trying to anticipate my needs, very compassionate, very helpful, very personable.. I can't say enough good things. Only negative is that I got a staff infection - not the nurses fault unless I got it from one of them. I'll never know. |
Anonymous
| I haven't read through all these posts. the OP seems to me high-maintenance ... I had a very good experience at Sibley in 2007 and would definitely go there again. The maternity nurses were competent, sometimes overburdened with work but helpful, caring and friendly. |
Anonymous
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Just wanted to add note from a recent experience to try to make people not so nervous about delivering at Sibley. I delivered my twins at Sibley on April 1 at 37 weeks on the nose. The L&D nurses were FABULOUS, expecially as I went into labor that morning, and it went very fast and was pretty advanced when I got to Sibley only 10 minutes away. My one main OR nurse stayed with me with every contraction as we were heading toward the c-section (twin "a" was breech...) and helped me get through it all...how I'm not sure since I went so far and so fast before they could get the epidural in at 7 centimeters (...NOT in the birth plan...!). And, then the L&D nurse that took over for my L&D recovery was fantastic, too.
Re: a PP question about c-sections at Sibley....I don't know if it's the hospital that makes the decision about a c-section is it? It was always something we discussed with my doctor and his colleagues at their practice, and since my baby a was breech it wasn't a question. Anyway, the maternity nurses were really great for me for the most part, I do want to say. Since I had the c, I was there four days. The first sets of nurses I had were really terrific, even the night nurse - one that I had twice who was great. One thing I did note, though, was that their personalities were all different, so it's worth taking the time to take that into account before judging, and connecting with them if at least to call them by name. In one case I was worried that one nurse wasn't as direct as my previous one, so I thought she might not be as good. But, she was just more shy than others, and she became a life saver with the babies and with me when she was the one who first got me out of bed after the IV and epidural came out (WOW, what shock...!) Anyway, she was great. One night nurse saw I needed my pain medication before I asked for it and brought it down to me during the discharge class in the other wing, for which I was extremely grateful! My last night nurse left a little to be desired, and the last nurse I had was nice enough, but she seemed a little confused with the whole discharge process (although she did make sure I had plenty of stock of formula, diapers, wipes, etc. to take home with me, which was great!!). There seemed to be some disconnect between the info given at the discharge class and what the discharge nurse was supposed to do (and we weren't the only ones to comment on that...!). As for what we wanted to do with the babies, there was never a problem. We called the nurse when we wanted to send them to nursery for the night, and they brought them back in the room when we called for them in the morning. And, when they took them for assessments, etc., they always changed them, etc., so that seemed fine. One thing that did bother me more, though, was that by day three, the housekeeping seemed off...my linens weren't changed again, and there were linens in the bathroom for a couple days. We couldn't get anyone to take them, it seemed. I know it was a busy time (when they almost had to close the maternity ward to new patients), so that may have been it, but it was surprising nonetheless. Anyway, I hope the positive experiences are helpful for those coming up, and I hope the Administration will take some steps to address the negative ones. Good luck everyone! |
escrappy05@yahoo.com
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| I really thank everyone for their responses. However, I am a little surprised by some of the responses and criticism (your posting was too rambly...I thought that's what this site was all about.....support). As for the nurses are overworked and the hospital doesn't give them support.....that's true, but the patients should not suffer as a result. I work in public service (although I could be working at a firm) by choice and even though I don't get paid nearly what I am worth, I don't take it out on the people I represent or the victims I am charged with protecting. We should expect the basics and the point of my email was that we aren't even getting that. Maybe that's not the way everyone else feels.....I think we should at least get what we pay for ....especially considering the single room is $200/night more.... |
Anonymous
| To add to the postings for people who are worried about delivering at Sibley, I just returned home after being at Sibley for the week (I delivered my daughter by c-section on Monday). I was initially worried about the care because for my first c-section three years ago I had myself discharged early because I was so tired of dealing with the nurses. This time, however, my experience was entirely different. While I was not a first time mom, which I know made a big difference, my care was much better this time around. Though I will not say that all the nurses were warm and fuzzy, they were all professional and responsive. I was left alone more, which I appreciated so I could rest, and at night in particular, after the first night when I was still on the IV, catheter, and epidural, I was only disturbed once for my vitals and then when my daughter was brought to me to feed. I know the nursing varies greatly, but I wanted to float out there my good experience to help out those who are anxious about upcoming deliveries. |
Anonymous
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First of all ... congratulations on the arrival of your daughter!
Thank you for posting ... I am due to deliver in a week's time and am pretty anxious because of all the horror stories here. I am gladyou took the time to write your better experience. I'll just keep in mind that I am there only to leave again with a beautiful baby and will try not to be bothered too much with the lack of warm nurses. |
Anonymous
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I had two vaginal deliveries at Sibley that were terrific, and the post-partum care was also great. For me and my daughters. I agree that the L&D nurses were amazing and the post-partum nurses a mixed bag. We had maybe two who were awful; the rest varied. Nurses are human. If you treat them like it, they're more likely to reciprocate.
Here are some things we did that I believe got us better care: 1) My husband had pizza sent to the nursing station the night we delivered. We also shared all the cookies & goodies that visitors brought with our nurses. 2) When a new nurse came on shift, we tried to make a note of her name and call her by her name whenever possible. We thanked every nurse or other person who came into our room for their help. 3) We tried to anticipate my needs - like, I'll want a pain pill in an hour, or a new ice pack - just as a pp suggested. 4) We always double checked the nurse's work and considered ourselves advocates for the care of my daughters and myself. I ended up filling in some of the feedings and diaper changes because they neglected to do it on the chart. My second daughter had two episodes where she turned blue and stopped responding. After the first one they took her to the nursery for observation, but after the second one our pediatrician got nervous and asked for a cardiology consult. She ended up being transferred to Children's NICU for a week of antibiotics and lots of scary tests - and then was fine. I am very grateful that our pediatrician was so alert because otherwise we would've been discharged and sent home with a sick baby -- and I'm sure this could've happened at any hospital. So, you really have to be in charge of your own care! Ideally, your husband/partner/parent, since you'll probably be out of it... |
Anonymous
They are on it. |
Anonymous
I think they are opening a new wing on the 7th floor for when the other wards fill up. |