Team prepares for reopening of Labor & Delivery at WRH with simulated births

“It’s a girl!”

That announcement climaxed the first simulated delivery in the Whitfield Regional Hospital Labor and Delivery suite Monday. It was the beginning of a series of simulations to prepare the L&D personnel for when the unit opens within the next two weeks.

For the first simulation, Dr. Ashley Steiner led a team from the initial examination of the patient through the delivery of the infant to post-partem care, all under the watchful eyes of the UAB SimFirst unit. The UAB team is conducting continuing training with the L&D and Emergency Department staffs at WRH to review and refresh what they already have learned.

The manikin used in the training is capable of presenting many different scenarios so the WRH doctors and nurses are prepared to face any situation. After each simulation the SimFirst team reviewed what went right and what could have been improved. Each simulation challenged the delivery teams with different complications.

Work continues on the L&D unit at the hospital. When completed, it will have four patient rooms, two delivery rooms and a nursery ready to accept at least seven new-borns.

Tori Jones, nurse manager for the L&D unit, and nurse Jaymi Burgess assisted Dr. Steiner with the first delivery. Observing the delivery was Dr. Elaina Constantino, and looking on was the support staff who will be instrumental in providing quality care for mothers and babies. The trial runs help them to understand what the WRH doctors want and need during deliveries.