At a Glance
- Labor nurse Jen Hamilton warns hospitals ignore safe-staffing rules for women in labor
- AWHONN standards cap nurse load at two laboring patients maximum
- Hamilton tells moms-to-be to ask ward nurses-not administrators-about real ratios
- Why it matters: Overworked nurses can miss emergencies, raising risks for mothers and babies
Labor and delivery nurse Jen Hamilton is urging expectant mothers to question hospital staffing before delivery day, claiming some facilities routinely assign nurses more patients than safety guidelines allow.
Hamilton, mother of two and author of Birth Vibes, posted a TikTok video arguing that staffing levels can determine whether women receive safe care. She believes hospitals will dislike her public disclosure but wants the information widespread.
The One Question Every Pregnant Woman Should Ask
“If you or someone you love is going to give birth in a hospital, there is a question that you need to ask before you go,” Hamilton said. “You need to know whether the hospital that you are going to give birth in follows AWHONN’s safe staffing standards.”
AWHONN-the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses-publishes detailed staffing benchmarks. Hamilton emphasizes these are standards, not optional guidelines.
Key AWHONN takeaway for labor units:
- One nurse should care for no more than two laboring patients
- That ratio applies even on what Hamilton calls “a bad day”
How to Verify Real Ward Conditions
Hamilton advises women to bypass administrators and speak directly to frontline staff.
“Don’t call and ask for the director. Don’t ask your OB. You need to talk to the people on the ground,” she said. “Ask labor and delivery nurses how often they are asked to care for more than two patients that are laboring.”
She claims many hospitals escape scrutiny because no outside body enforces the limits, leaving nurses to manage unmanageable assignments.
“There are hospitals that are getting away with egregiously unsafe staffing because no one is holding them accountable,” Hamilton said.
What to Do If Your Nurse Is Overloaded
Hamilton laid out immediate steps for patients who discover their nurse has too many assignments:
- Never blame the nurse-criticize the system
- Request the house supervisor, an administrator on duty 24/7
- Ask two questions:
- Are hospital administrators aware of unsafe staffing?
- Document in the patient’s chart that care is being provided under an unsafe assignment
“You are going to ask them to document in your chart that you are being cared for by a nurse with an unsafe assignment, and you see how quick those administrators get up out of bed,” she said.
Why Staffing Matters During Labor
Overburdened nurses can miss subtle warning signs, according to Hamilton.
“When you have a nurse that is caring for more patients than they should be caring for, things happen by no fault of the nurse, just a fault of the system,” she explained.
AWHONN convened a task force of perinatal specialists to create its staffing blueprint, covering:
- Exact nurse-to-patient ratios
- Contingency plans for absences
- Disaster staffing examples
Hamilton says she usually handles one patient at a time in her own unit and has never been assigned more than two, illustrating that safe ratios are achievable.
Spreading the Word
Hamilton ended her first video pledging to push the message broadly despite anticipated pushback from hospital executives. She followed up with the second clip after viewers asked for concrete action steps.
News Of Los Angeles previously reported Hamilton’s effort to inform expectant families, and her videos continue circulating on social media.
Key Takeaways
- Ask labor nurses-not doctors-about real patient loads before choosing a hospital
- AWHONN standards limit labor nurses to two patients; many wards exceed that cap
- If you face unsafe staffing, demand documentation; administrative response is swift when risk is recorded
