Using Whiteboards in the Labor and Delivery Unit

As Mother's Day approaches, we are turning our focus to how custom whiteboards can help in the labor and delivery unit. The CDC estimates that about 4 million babies are born in the US each year. That's an average of about 10,958 babies a day. Labor and delivery units are filled with nervous patients, crying babies and care teams who do all that they can to help the birthing process flow smoothly.

How Custom Whiteboards Can Help

The largest source of anxiety for patients (especially those who are about to become first time parents) is uncertainty, and with the average labor lasting anywhere from four to eight hours, there is a lot of time for anxiety to set in. Patient often do not know what to expect, a problem that is compounded when you introduce first-time parents into the mix. Nurses can use patient whiteboards to keep track of labor and delivery and help patients better understand the process.

Whiteboards, when used in labor and delivery units, can help alleviate this anxiety and create a better patient experience by including helpful information that most patients want to know.

Helpful Information Fields to Include on Labor and Delivery Whiteboards

Whether you are putting whiteboards to use in a pre or postnatal setting, including information that patients and care team find useful is essential.

When patients are entering or in labor, you can use whiteboards to keep track of:

• Mother's name

• Status: in labor, prenatal, delivered, etc.

• Cervical dilation

• Expected birth time

• Next examination time

• Patient questions, needs or requirements

For postnatal patients, you can use whiteboards to keep track of:

• Baby's name, height and weight

• Feeding and care times

• Goal for the day

• Nurse and doctor information

• Questions new mothers have for the care team

• Room and phone number

Labor and Delivery Whiteboard Examples

Take a look at some of the whiteboards that are used by hospitals during labor and delivery:

To learn more about how hospitals can use whiteboards to their advantage, read our healthcare eBook. Happy Mother's Day!