How do you propose a hospital doula program to a local hospital?

Tiffany · 08-09-2005, 01:46 PM

I've been reading about how some hospitals have an internal doula program. Some hospitals seem to have doulas on as volunteers, while I've seen other programs that tell patients when they come in they can have a staff doula for $100.

I know there is a volunteer referal service at the well baby clinic at one of the hospitals in my area, but neither of them have a formal internal doula program. I'd love to propose such an idea, but how can I go about it and have them take me seriously? I've spoken to one of the hospitals' director before during a SARS outbreak, so I know it wouldn't be too hard to get ahold of one of the bosses.

Any suggestions?

tlcdoula · 08-09-2005, 01:59 PM

I work in a hospital based doula program, and to be honest I don't know how they went about proposing it. I do know that they received a grant to help offset the cost of the doula for the families. In the program I work for the families pay $75 and the program pays another $225 for a total of $300 per birth to the doula.

Best of luck with your pursuit and sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Kalamazoo Doula · 09-14-2005, 10:36 AM

Tiffany,
I had just been dealing with this whole issue earlier this year! I suggest going to www.birthsource.com and look on their web site. I have been in contact with one of the founders of that site, Connie Livingston, and she has ALOT of experience in proposing and getting hospital based doula program off the ground! She really had helped. The first hospital that I wrote a 'interest' letter for, never go back with me, but I just think that it is not good for them cost wise currently. This hospital is in the process of building a new "Birth Center" (really, all they are doing is moving their whole maternity/pediatric ward to their old building) so they are don't really have the funds currently. Which I totally understand! I still have one more local hospital to send the letter to. This same hospital currently has a massage therapist (who is a certified doula) on call for their laboring mommas!

Which the mommas love, by the way!

So I think that they are 'playing' with the idea of a doula program without fully committing to it. This is what I'm hoping that they are doing!

I'm also thinking about getting in touch with a local grass roots program in our area that deals with moms and babies, to help me with writing a getting a grant for a community doula program!
I also suggest getting the book 'Doula Programs' by Paulina 'Polly' Perez and Deaun Thelen. Polly has given me support via e-mail about this very subject, she was very helpful, and I will probably being needing more guidance from her in the future!

I hope that I helped a little, and if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask away!

susan1 · 09-24-2005, 12:53 PM

I found a post in another board about a "Doula Registry" at hospitals. Has anyone heard of a "Doula Registry" before?

And if you have can someone tell me more? Like how to start one at a hospital? Who to talk to about starting one? Seems like a great idea to find clinets.

Thanks,
Susan

Matrescence · 09-24-2005, 07:51 PM

Our large hospital has one, 2 of the L&D nurses are doulas in our association, I believe they talked to the l&D director about having a folder of available doulas who they can call at the last minute should someone need one. I think there are about 6 doulas on ours that are listed as PRN, if a patient asks for a doula they call us from that list and who ever can go goes.

I would have no idea how to even broach the subject with our smaller hospital here... the nurses are great the OB's are even pretty laid back but the director of L&D doesn't like change.

Our local doula trainer says that the best way to get things rolling is an in-service about doulas (who we are what we do how we're trained etc.) If you can do a power point presentation all the better if not a video and some handouts, food, and of course you

susan1 · 09-24-2005, 11:08 PM

Thanks for posting!

Well there not any doulas- nurses here.

I do know a nurse but she only thinks doulas are for single moms.

But maybe I can talk to her about. I am not very good with words. So how do you think I should go about bring it up about a doula registry? Should I write a letter or just talk to her or just talk to the head nurse?

Thanks,
Susan

P.S I love these smiley

09-24-2005, 11:33 PM

I work in a midsize rural Missouri hospital and we have a hospital based doula program. Actually all the ob techs ( Certified Nurse Assistants) are doulas. Its a free service we offer any pt that would like to have one. One of the downfalls is unless a pt comes in for some reason before they are in labor we dont meet them before hand. Luckily we are usually in the room early on and have a chance to get to know the pt and family. We have 2 ob/gyns and a midwife. The nurses love to have a doula for the pt and the docs and midwife totally support us. We just got a labor tub, so far we only have 1 and have had an excellent response to that also.

Our hospital didnt get a grant to pay for us, but in the end our spinal rate went down so the hospital actually made money. And we dont get a set pay rate for every pt we get a slight increase in our hourly wage while we are a doula.

Kalamazoo Doula · 09-25-2005, 01:07 AM

Obtech doula (sorry did not catch your name),
I just wanted to give you a suggestion that your program could implement. You had said that unfortunately your program does not really allow you to have any prenatal exposure and relationship with the expectant families. I would suggest that maybe you could have a 'Meet the Doulas' night, were you have it open to all interested families to come and meet all of you and then they can learn more about the benefits of doula support. You could also try to see if you ladies could take turns dropping in on the CBE classes (if your hospital offers them) and talk for about 15 minutes about the doula program and about the ladies who offer the support.
Just some ideas! I know if I ever can get a local hospital to agree to try a program, I want to try the 'Get to Know the Doula' night. Have you ever thought of maybe getting a small office space that you and the other doulas can have a few hours a week to have expectant parents to come in and get to know you, this time could also be used to help with birth plan set up.
Hope this helps!

tlcdoula · 09-25-2005, 08:39 AM

Yes that is what our hospital does too. Once a month we have a Meet the Doulas. It is a pretty informal night where families can drop in between certain times and we are there to answer questions and to meet one another. It isn't ideal because not everyone comes (patients I mean), and sometimes we have people coming to check out the program who never actually sign up. It does, however give us the chance to at least see some of them once.

Like I said not ideal, but better than nothing. I just had a client this past week whom I met at the Meet the Doulas and she said it was nice to see a familiar face right after she arrived at the hospital

tlcdoula · 09-25-2005, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan1

I found a post in another board about a "Doula Registry" at hospitals. Has anyone heard of a "Doula Registry" before?

And if you have can someone tell me more? Like how to start one at a hospital? Who to talk to about starting one? Seems like a great idea to find clinets.

Thanks,
Susan

Sadly at one of the hospitals I work at we do have a doula "list" but the nurses do not see a value in doulas and so they do not hand it out. It is heartbreaking because when I would sub for one of the nurses in their childbirth education classes I would mention it to the families and some wanted doulas - all seemed interested in learning about them. Unfortunately for me the nurses got wind that I taught my classes like a "doula" and now I have been transferred to another location (the outpatient center). I am heartbroken over it because I had an excellent review, but unfortunately the nurses don't like doulas at this hospital and don't like that we teach comfort measures that don't coincide with utilizing medication. It all comes down to having a compliant patient and they like epidural patients.

09-27-2005, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalamazoo Doula

Obtech doula (sorry did not catch your name),
I just wanted to give you a suggestion that your program could implement. You had said that unfortunately your program does not really allow you to have any prenatal exposure and relationship with the expectant families. I would suggest that maybe you could have a 'Meet the Doulas' night, were you have it open to all interested families to come and meet all of you and then they can learn more about the benefits of doula support. You could also try to see if you ladies could take turns dropping in on the CBE classes (if your hospital offers them) and talk for about 15 minutes about the doula program and about the ladies who offer the support.
Just some ideas! I know if I ever can get a local hospital to agree to try a program, I want to try the 'Get to Know the Doula' night. Have you ever thought of maybe getting a small office space that you and the other doulas can have a few hours a week to have expectant parents to come in and get to know you, this time could also be used to help with birth plan set up.
Hope this helps!

Thanks for the advise! We are currently redoing the Childbirth Classes. We are planning on having a "meet the doulas" night. Money wise there is no way we can get a small office space. Our hosp is planning on building a Womens' Pavillion within the next 2 yrs...hopefully then we can have our own space for doula stuff.

09-27-2005, 03:25 PM

Where I work all of the Techs (Certified Nurse Aides) in OB are doulas. We even have an RN that is doula certified. We offer every pt that comes in a Doula. There is no extra charge for us, its just one of the services we offer. We are short a couple doulas right now due to school and maternity leave but normally we have a doula on call 24/7. Most of our nurses highly encourage a pt to have a doula! The nurses love us!

kelley piasecki · 01-10-2006, 10:03 AM

Hey all! I just thought I would share some exciting news with you!

I got a call yesterday from a local hospital that I interviewed (in December) with for their Staff Doula program. Well, anyways, they want to hire me!! I will be "working" with Michelle Hardy from these boards, and they want me to start my orientation on Sunday already!! (it will be orientation and also "Meet the Doula" night---a monthly thing) Yee haa!!!

Thanks for letting me share! I wish Michelle was home from Hawaii, so I could tell her!!

Need2read · 01-10-2006, 10:08 AM

wow, that is AWESOME!!! I am so happy for you! Yay for you & I am sure Michelle will be thrilled to hear about it!

Will you be paid at the hospital? Or is it a volunteer doula type of thing?

Woo Hoo!!!!!!

kelley piasecki · 01-10-2006, 10:14 AM

Thank you Cortney! I will be paid by the hospital, per birth. Staff doula's there get some nice privileges including going in with the mom while she's getting prepped for a c-section. It will be such a fantastic opportunity!!!