We hold medical practitioners to higher standards than most professionals and for good reason. After all, these are people who we’re entrusting with our health. If they make a mistake, it can have serious ramifications for our health. It’s even worse if the mistake was made by someone who you’ve entrusted to take care of your baby. Here are four tips on how to respond if you’re expecting a child and have to deal with human error in healthcare.
Focus on solutions
If something happens to your baby as a result of a doctor or nurse’s negligence, your first instinct might be to point fingers. However, this won’t do anyone any good, especially not your baby. Ask to be directed to a doctor or other professional who can help you deal with this scenario right away. Time is of the essence, and dwelling on the past will not help matters.
Don’t blow things out of proportion
Hearing that a mistake was made, either during your pregnancy or during birth, can be grounds for triggering alarms in your brain, but it doesn’t have to be. There’s a good chance that the mistake was simply something benign, and you’re only being informed about it because your doctor wants you to be fully aware of everything going on with your baby. Listen intently to what happened before saying or doing anything particularly rash.
Remember the Human
Healthcare professionals are not malicious, especially not towards a baby. If something went wrong, it was not deliberate. You might be greatly upset, and this is understandable. However, it’s not acceptable for you to lash out against people who were trying to do their job. You can speak critically towards them and tell them how you feel hurt and worried, but you should still treat them with dignity.
Take Action if Necessary
Sometimes a mistake made by a medical practitioner can have lasting ramifications. Sometimes issues during the birthing procedure can jeopardize your baby’s health. The effects of this can be long-term. Because of this, it’s important to address any issues that may have effected your child’s health right away. Make sure you know of a doctor who can deal with birth injuries. If necessary, you might need to seek legal counsel in order to file a malpractice claim against the healthcare professional responsible.
Human error in healthcare is a serious matter, particularly when it happens to your baby. By following these tips, you can develop a sensible action plan in the event of an error regarding the care of your baby.