“You never know what’s in store when you work in the ED.”
QEII Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) Resus team is celebrating a unique feat after they successfully delivered a surprise baby without a hitch last month.
With no birthing suites at QEII and no time to transfer the labouring mum to a birthing hospital, the Resus team went all-in to deliver the baby.
“QEII is not a trauma ED, and with no birthing suite here, it was all hands on deck,” said Registered Nurse Emergency, Kristine Tidey (pictured second from right).
From presentation to transfer, Kristine says it was the team’s remarkable instinct and their exceptional coordination of the patient’s care that made the rare event so successful.
“The patient didn’t know she was pregnant, and when a woman presents to ED with abdominal pain, there are so many differential diagnoses and possibilities.
“I was so impressed and proud of my colleagues’ high index of suspicion from the get-go, from the triage nurse to the doctors and the nurses. The team was so clinically apt, following a clear train of thought that allowed them to diagnose from a myriad of possibilities, which expedited the patient’s treatment.”
In less than sixty minutes, a healthy baby girl was born and soon mum was cleared for transfer, accompanied by Kristine in the ambulance.
With the unit accustomed to their predominantly critical workload, Kristine says being part of bringing a new life into the world marked a surprising and inspired change of tune for the team.
“When mum gave birth, every member of the team was filled with joy at seeing this new life enter the world. We regularly see people passing, so it was a rare moment for us to be celebrating a new life.”
Congratulations and many thanks to the whole team for your commitment to patient care.