Working as a nurse in the post-partum unit at my hospital may cause some issues. Me being a male nurse may put some patients in an awkward situation. Some patients may not feel comfortable talking about these issues with a male. And even if the patient does talk to me, I would not be sure if they were completely comfortable with it. I would make sure the patient is comfortable talking about these issues with me or have a female co-worker stand by if need be.
The first area I would assess would be why the mother is reluctant to breast feed her baby. It may be something as simple as providing some education on the issue to put the mother at ease. Along with assessing why, I would assess the mother's willingness and capability to learn to better help me provide the best, nonjudgmental information to the mother (Women, Infants and Children, 2016).
After assessing the patient's willingness and capability to learn, I would assess the knowledge of the patient on the subject as to not spend time educating the patient on topics they already know. I would educate the patient on the health benefits to the baby and go over any questions she may have in a non-judgmental way. I would look at the entire family situation and her feelings about family support, and what he plans may be for going back to work and if her employment is supportive. Exploring every aspect will allow for more completely care planning (Bonuck, Stuebe, Barnett, 2014).
Ultimately the decision to breast feed is up to the patient. I would attempt to assess the situation to the best of my ability and provide education wherever possible and provide resources and specialist referrals to the patient. If the patient still decides not to breast feed, I will support the patient in their decision and attempt to provide education of the best and safest alternatives for the mother and baby.
References
Bonuck K, Stuebe A, Barnett J, Effect of primary care intervention on breastfeeding duration and intensity. Am J Public Health. 2014;104
Women, Infants and Children (WIC). (2016). Retrieved January 05, 2017, from https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/breastfeeding-priority-wic-program