[babyrex33]

I have been browsing your board for a while. I am the manager of a small hospital OB unit and am trying to update some of our unit policies.

Could some of you who work in similar environments let me know about your stand on infant intubation? Who is doing this in house? What about your NRP program? Are you being instructed on intubation? What about liability for nursing staff? We have opted NOT to continue education programs involving intubation, but have run into a situation when needing to visualize cords when there is thick mec stained fluid. Any input would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,

babyrex33

[OBRN03]

I work in a small hospital birth center. First of all our Mec deliveries are required to have a NRP certified physician, actually any doc that see's a baby must be NRP certified. All of our nurses are NRP trained also. What if you had a case gone bad, gone to court and no one was certified. That wouldn't look good.
As for intubation if needed the RT or Doc does it.
Hope that helps some

[moondancer]

Originally posted by babyrex33
I have been browsing your board for a while. I am the manager of a small hospital OB unit and am trying to update some of our unit policies.

Could some of you who work in similar environments let me know about your stand on infant intubation? Who is doing this in house? What about your NRP program? Are you being instructed on intubation? What about liability for nursing staff? We have opted NOT to continue education programs involving intubation, but have run into a situation when needing to visualize cords when there is thick mec stained fluid. Any input would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,

babyrex33

To answer your questions:
1.Infant intubation is performed by MD, NNP, CNM, or RT. Visualization of cords should be done by the MD/Pedi/Neo.
2. All staff members....physicians, RN's CNM, NNP's, everyone working on the unit has to be NRP certified (in terms of licensed personnel).
3. Intubation is part of the NRP course...it is out of the RN's scope of practice to intubate, however, it is covered, and we should be aware of the procedure/eqpt, in order to assist w/intubation if necessary.
4. Liability is too great, in this area, NOT to be NRP certified.

We also have a pedi called to mec deliveries, as well....
Good Luck!

[L&D_RN_OH]

All in OB are NRP certified and we review intubation during the NRP couse, but nurses do not intubate. We have RT's at all deliveries.

[fourbirds4me]

We are taught to intubate/view cords in NRP. We are primary care givers to the neonate as RT/Ped are usually not available at delivery. Anesthesia is usually close by but only intubate (if they can) when prolonged resuscitation is needed.

[ImaStork]

I work at a small county hospital. All the nurses are NRP certified. The pedi docs have trained the charge nurses to view cords and suction for mec. We do not have in house anesthesia and our OB docs do not intubate babies. Sometimes we have to be able to view cords for unexpected mec. If we know we have mec before the delivery we have the pedi doc there. I like the idea of having all docs NRP certified. Anything that reduces my liability I am all for.