Nurses at Research Medical Center in southern Kansas City say although the hospital no longer operates a labor and delivery unit, pregnant patients still show up in the emergency room, some under the impression the department still exists.
“We have patients that have given birth to their previous children at this hospital and they believe that they’ll be able to walk in and do the same thing when that’s not the case,” said Olivia Huggans, an emergency room nurse at Research Medical.
Huggans said this strains emergency room staff. Huggans, other nurses and union members voiced safety concerns at a rally hosted on Thursday night by their union, National Nurses United. Huggans said nurses at Research Medical don’t have adequate training or supplies to properly respond to an obstetric emergency…