What do you do in a newborn nursery?

CrunchyMama, ASN, RN · Feb 7, 2011

Well I went insane, not sure what other students do/did. I hated that rotation. :mad:

Good luck!

mell260 · Feb 7, 2011

Well I went insane, not sure what other students do/did. I hated that rotation.
Good luck!

What was so bad about it??

Boog'sCRRN246, RN · Feb 7, 2011

We did immunizations, feedings, heel sticks, LOTS of diaper changing, baths, assessments, assisting with circumcisions...I also had moments of feeling insane b/c when the nursery was full and every baby decided to start screaming, I wanted to pull my hair out!

CrunchyMama, ASN, RN · Feb 7, 2011

I'm more of a natural person and get annoyed with how America views birth. So for me being in close contact with all those bottles, horrible breastfeeding advice, mutilated memberes, vaccines, inductions, c-sections, etc etc, not to mention the the girls/women who shouldn't be having a baby....it made me insane (temporarily, lol). It was a long 8 weeks! But most students like the maternity rotation, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it, just wasn't for me. But to answer your original question, you do assessments and feeding if needed. It can get pretty boring in the nursery and I'm not only saying that because of what I said above, lol....it really can get boring since babies just lay there or when the baby is with mom, etc etc.

tablefor9, RN · Feb 7, 2011

Well, let's see...I do baby assessments, transition baby after delivery (which includes doing apgars, vitals, footprints, banding...all on Mom's abdomen, right after delivery, while they are skin to skin, provided babe looks good), assisting with breastfeeding, teaching, encouraging the parental bond...vital signs, the occasional diaper change, hearing screens, educate about the vaccines and circs and either administer or assist with those. For a babe that's not doing so good, I start O2, IVs, treatments, assist with Chest Tube placement, XRays, and so on. I also stabilize micropreemies for ship to higher level of care and extremely critical babies for transport to appropriate facility.

Mostly, I use my time with these families to plant seeds about the role of parents as advocates and gaurdians at the gate for their children. 80% of the people I see as first time parents have never thought about vaccines, or circs, or much of anything about parenthood. It's my time to put tools in their hands that will help them be better parents, thinking parents. It's my time to make sure they have the help with bfeeding that will make them able to succeed.

I am primarily a labor RN, but my secondary work, about 2 shifts out of 7, is in the NBN. It's not for everyone, but if you take the opportunity you are given to educate and plant seeds, this is the place where you *can* make a difference in the way parenting happens.