An Interview With Lucinda Koza
Continuous Labor Support: Having someone supportive present during labor, shown to improve outcomes.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jung Baccam.
Jung Baccam is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with over 13 years of acute care experience as a registered nurse. Her experience in various roles and leadership positions has allowed her to hone in on a dedication to equity and a holistic approach to healthcare as a provider. Through her experience providing dignified and empowering care, Jung utilizes this lens to ensure a multifaceted approach to functional pain medicine.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! In the specific birthing experiences that you have been a part of or witness to, what were the key elements that seemed to have the most influence on the quality of the process, outcome, and aftermath of the birth? Can you please explain what you mean?
The most impactful elements were personalized care, the birthing environment, and strong support systems. Tailoring care to each mother’s needs, providing a calm and private environment, and ensuring robust support during and after birth make a difference in the overall experience.
Can you tell us about a birthing experience you were a part of as a professional that you actually wish had gone differently? Do you know exactly where it took a wrong turn? Do you think or know there is something someone, even you, could have done to improve this situation? Can you please explain what you mean?
There was a birth where a language barrier created a lot of stress for a mother who couldn’t understand the medical team. Reflecting on it, having a translator or using technology to bridge the communication gap could have eased her anxiety significantly. This taught me the critical importance of clear communication in delivering compassionate care.
Which of these do you feel most in contention with, if at all: lack of time, lack of resources, lack of information regarding a patient’s specific case, healthcare worker burnout, compassion fatigue, or something else entirely? Can you please explain what you mean?
Healthcare worker burnout is the biggest challenge I face. It affects our ability to provide the best care and leads to compassion fatigue. Tackling this requires attention to the well-being of healthcare professionals themselves.
In your dream world, what would a perfect shift at work be like for you? If you had a shift with back-to-back births, what else would be in place structurally that would make you feel as if you are fulfilling your dream for birthing parents? Now, how can we take this out of your dream world and root it in reality?
My perfect shift would involve a collaborative team where everyone feels supported, ample time with each mother, and all necessary resources at our fingertips. To make this more of a reality, improving staff levels, encouraging regular breaks, and fostering a supportive work culture are key.
Are there any innovative practices, technologies, or policies that you believe can significantly enhance the safety and comfort of the birthing process?
Innovations like wireless fetal monitoring for mobility, virtual reality for pain management, telemedicine for accessibility, app-based prenatal education, and integrative approaches like acupuncture could significantly improve the birthing process.
Can you please share “5 Things That We Can Do to Improve the Birthing Experience for Mothers”?
- Respectful Maternity Care: Training for all healthcare providers to ensure every mother is treated with dignity and respect.
- Continuous Labor Support: Having someone supportive present during labor, shown to improve outcomes.
- Accessible Prenatal Education: Offering classes in various languages and formats to empower parents.
- Postpartum Support Networks: Providing comprehensive support after birth, from mental health to physical recovery.
- Feedback Mechanisms: Regularly gathering and acting on feedback from mothers to continually improve care.
How do you ensure that there is effective communication between healthcare teams and expectant mothers to reduce anxiety and build trust during labor and delivery?
Clear, simple language, visual aids, and checking for understanding are key. Keeping the mother informed throughout the process helps reduce anxiety and builds trust.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I’d champion integrating mental health care into prenatal and postpartum care. Mental health is as crucial as physical health in maternity care, and better integration could improve outcomes significantly.
How can our readers follow your work online?
You can follow my updates and insights on family health care and pain management through our website — https://atlasketamine.com/
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
About the Interviewer: Nancy Landrum, MA, Relationship Coach, has authored eight books, including “How to Stay Married and Love it” and “Stepping Twogether: Building a Strong Stepfamily”. Nancy has been coaching couples and stepfamilies with transformative communication skills for over thirty years. Nancy is an engaging interviewer and powerful speaker. Nancy has contributed to The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Authority, Medium, Yahoo, MSN, Psych Central, Thrive, Woman’s Day magazine, and more. Nancy is the Founder of the only one of its kind online relationship solution, www.MillionaireMarriageClub.com. Nancy coaches couples across the globe in person and via Zoom. Nancy’s passion is to guide couples and families to happy lasting marriages where children thrive and lovers love for life.
Jung Baccam On How to Improve the Birthing Experience was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.