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	Women's Health Unit

Our Women's Health Unit is an 18-bed Mother/Baby Unit and also provides care to other female patients. We have a fully operational newborn nursery as well as a Level II neonatal nursery - one of only 25 in Kentucky - that provides more intensive care for sick newborns.

Our labor and delivery hall features four birthing rooms, an operating room suite and a labor room. Also on our unit is a clinic where our prenatal patients are seen by a private group of obstetrical physicians. 

Although children are not generally allowed in the labor and delivery hall, we do permit other family members to join our obstetrics patients during the labor and delivery process, subject to the mother's wishes. We encourage the spouse or significant other of our obstetrics patients to be participants in the care provided. We also allow siblings and grandparents to participate in caring for the new member of their family. We have a number of educational offerings to assist the new mother in learning how to care for her baby as well as to help siblings welcome the newest member of their family.

Patient populations: We serve obstetrical and gynecological patients and other women who benefit from a unit exclusively for female patients.

Number of babies born annually: Just under 1,000 

Services/treatments offered: We offer labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum care as well as a fully operational newborn nursery and a Level II neonatal nursery. We provide epidurals as requested. In addition to the normal services provided in labor and delivery, we also provide outpatient circumcisions on babies as well as hearing exams and lactation consultations. We also have a private room where we provide triage services to our obstetrics patients. In our operating room suite, we do cesarean sections as well as tubal ligations and D&Cs necessary for perinatal loss. We also offer free childbirth and breastfeeding classes. Many of our Associates are certified as Resolve Through Sharing specialists to provide grief counseling. We also provide education and counseling to other female patients specific to their needs. Our patient rooms are also equipped with a new television channel in conjunction with Parent Channel Videos.  “Brahm’s Lullaby” is played over the hospital’s P.A. system after each newborn’s birth to celebrate the new arrival.

Work environment: We have a fast-paced environment with a quick turnover of patients, most of whom are generally discharged within two to three days. Many of our Associates are cross-trained to work in labor and delivery, the nursery and the operating room. Our staff works closely with board-certified obstetricians and gynecologists, pediatricians, anesthesiologists and other physicians who care for the patients in our area.

Skill mix: RNs, LPNs, PCTs, certified lactation consultants, certified nurse practitioner and a clinical nurse specialist. Many of our Associates are certified in their specialty. RNs are responsible for completing an initial assessment of our patients, developing their plan of care, providing intervention as necessary and re-evaluating their progress. We staff a minimum of three RNs on day shift and two RNs on night shift. At least one RN is always on duty in the nursery. Scrub LPNs/RNs assist in labor and delivery, placing fetal monitors and assessing patients under the direction of an RN. We have nurse preceptors in all three areas of our obstetrical unit who orient new staff members.