Ashley Mitchell, BSN, RN, C-EFM, Perinatal Nurse Educator & Safety Officer, The Family Center at Exeter Hospital
Recent training for Family Center staff focused on trauma-informed care has provided us with new tools to enhance our commitment to positive and unbiased birth experiences for all, with patient safety and empowerment top of mind. The Family Center is leading the way as the hospital rolls out an organization-wide effort to train all hospital staff on trauma-informed care.
Each one of our patients brings their own unique story when they come to us for their childbirth experience. So many people have experienced trauma in their lifetime, whether it’s a childhood event, intimate partner violence, a previous traumatic birth experience, or stress and anxiety about entering a hospital at all. When we deliver trauma-informed care, we can truly connect with our patients and provide a safe place for them both emotionally and physically.
For our training, we brought in an outside expert in trauma-informed birth care specifically. Mandy Irby, a highly experienced nurse and healthcare educator specializing in the birth experience, led educational sessions focused on compassionate and collaborative bedside debriefing strategies, and fostering trauma-informed care relationships with patients. We discussed ways we can ensure our patients know that they are in the driver’s seat with their care, including open communication about what’s happening throughout labor and delivery, answering questions with empathy, and taking the time to forge a connection.
All Family Center staff participated in the training – including registered nurses, obstetrics technicians, midwives, OB/GYN providers, family practitioners, and pediatricians – allowing us to further boost team coordination and communication. In post-training follow-up surveys, staff indicated that they appreciated learning a range of techniques related to information transparency, emotional safety, language and word choices in communication, active listening, and patient advocacy.
Trauma-informed care protocols underscore the Family Center’s ongoing commitment to high quality maternal care and improved outcomes. For information about Family Center services,
visit our website or call us at
603-580-6365.
Ashley Mitchell is a registered nurse and nurse educator/safety officer, and has been a member of Exeter Hospital’s Family Center team for over 8 years.