Sharing the Care
Healthy babies stay in the room in with their parents 24 hours a day to encourage family bonding and make breastfeeding easier. Many different healthcare providers will be involved in ensuring that you receive the best care possible.
Care Team
The Maternal & Newborn Care Unit is a very busy ward. You may find yourself wondering who all the people coming and going from your room are. The team that looks after you during your stay will be made up of many different individuals.
Doctors and Midwives:
Mothers and babies may have different doctors during their stay in the hospital.
- Mother's Doctor: this may be your Obstetrician, Midwife, or Family Physician. The mother's doctor will oversee all aspects of your stay, including determining when you can be released from the hospital. Resident Physicians may also see you during your hospitalization.
- Baby's Doctor: this may be your Midwife, Family Physician, or a different Family Physician assigned to your baby for the length of their stay. The baby's doctor will oversee all aspects of your baby's stay, including determining when your baby can be released from the hospital.
Nurses:
The Primary Care Nurse is the nurse that will be in charge of you and your baby on a particular shift. Usually, your assigned nurse will be caring for 5 pairs of mothers and babies during her shift.
- The Charge Nurse oversees all patient care on the unit.
- The Newborn Support Nurse oversees newborn care on the unit. If you baby requires extra monitoring or tests, the Newborn Support Nurse will likely be involved in your baby's care.
- Royal University Hospital is a teaching hospital that prides itself in providing excellent learning opportunities through partnerships with many different post-secondary institutions and students are common.
- A KidsFirst Nurse will enter your room to ask you some confidential questions to see if you qualify for the KidsFirst program. KidsFirst is a free, voluntary program that helps families to become the best parents they can be and to have the healthiest children possible. To find out more about KidsFirst, click here.
Lactation Consultant:
International Board Certified Lactation Consultants are available during the day to support mothers and babies experiencing breastfeeding difficulties.
- Although not all of the nurses on the unit are Certified Lactation Consultants, all our staff are trained to provide excellent breastfeeding support and have considerable experience assisting mothers and babies with breastfeeding. Your Primary Care Nurse will assist you with any breastfeeding difficulties you may have prior to asking the Lactation Consultant to see you.
- For more information about breastfeeding your baby, click here.
Supportive Health Care Workers:
Additional supportive healthcare workers you may encounter include:
- Unit Support Workers- ensures you have enough supplies in your room.
- Housekeeping- ensures your room will be clean.
- Food and Nutrition Services – a Patient Food Services worker will delivery nutritious, good-tasting food to your room 3 times a day. Food and Nutrition Services works hard to ensure that patient's meals meet their dietary requirements and their food preferences. To find out more about Food and Nutrition Services, click here.
- Health Technicians – may enter your room to collect blood or do tests on you or your baby. To find out more about tests and procedures that may be done during your stay, click here.
- Social Work – Social Workers may be involved in ensuring the social and emotional well-being of patients and their families. To find out more about Social Work, click here.
- Spiritual and Cultural Care – a hospital chaplain or a spiritual care provider of your own faith group are available upon request. To find out more about Spiritual and Cultural Care, click here.
