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Cesarean Surgery Role Play
Curriculum Topic: Group Activity
Activity Type: Multi-topic, Birth Planning
Supplies: Name tags on lanyards or signs made of paper plates glued to craft sticks labeled with separate roles depending on actual people involved in cesarean surgery in your nearby facilities. Possible roles: birthing person; partner; obstetrician (1-2 depending on facility); scrub nurses (1-2); rotating nurse; pediatrician; pediatric nurse; cord blood banking personnel.
Instructions:
- Numerous people are present for a cesarean birth. Ask for volunteers to take a nametage or sign indicating their role: birthing person, anesthesiologist, one-two obstetricians, two scrub nurses, rotating nurse, pediatrician, pediatric nurse, birthing partner (and any others routinely there or there if it is an emergency).
- Describe the cesarean surgery as your add in the roles of each player.
Talking Points:
Discussion Questions
- If your facility delays the partner’s entry, when will they be allowed to come in?
- Where will they wait?
- Who will be with them?
Show where each person might be placed around the birthing person.
- What will partners and support people be allowed to see?
- What might the birthing person be experiencing in their environment? If the birthing person is not sedated, they may be hypersensitive to all around them.
Transfer to delivery room on bed.
- How is the birthing person moved to the delivery table?
- What might they see? (people, bright lights, instrument tray, anesthesia equipment, caps, gowns, masks, drapes in front of their face)
- What might they hear? (rolling trays, metal-to-metal sounds, doors, monitors, beepers, conversations, joking, staples). We hope the birthing person will also hear words of concern, encouragement, and reassurance from partner, doctors, and nurses.
- Can they request a "clear drape" to see the baby emerge?
- Is skin-to-skin immediately after surgery an option?
Reference: Adapted from the Lamaze Toolkit
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