The COVID-19 virus has been the main focus as of late. This is an unprecedented situation for all of us. Many of us are concerned about the livelihood of ourselves, family and loved ones. The clinical setting, I work in has taken the necessary steps and precautions to keep everyone safe. They have requested that all staff refrain from traveling. All employees/personnel who have traveled 150 miles from their place of work since March 9, or are planning to travel more than 150 miles from their place of work in the future, must complete a travel declaration form. Once submitted, the employee will be notified that they are cleared for work or that they will be contacted by Employee Health for further evaluation (based on the employee’s travel history). If an employee requires further evaluation, a member of Employee Health will reach out directly. That employee will not be eligible to return to work until they have been cleared by Employee Health. Domestic travel, except for cruise travel, is not currently subject to the 14 day quarantine, but the decision could change as the number of COVID-19 cases grows in certain areas.

An opportunity I think my clinical setting could consider is reducing the number of inductions for labor that are typically scheduled. While labor is not something that can always be postponed or avoided, it is imperative to remain proactive as to not put more people at risk. If it is not medically necessary to induce a pregnant woman at this time, I believe we should encourage those women to remain home and continue to help reduce the risk of exposure to the virus until they actually go into labor or reach their due date at 40 weeks’ gestation or are experience a true obstetric emergency.