texas2007 BSN, RN

texas2007 has 2 years experience as a BSN, RN and specializes in NICU.

Latest Activity

1. Tips on Drawing from Arterial Line

   texas2007 replied to mslema's topic in NICU

   We use the same type of "open" system OP describes. Have you tried letting it drip a little more before you take the sample? I was always taught at least 5 drops but I usually count to 7 just to make sure all the art line fluid is gone.

2. Please be prepared for your interview...

   texas2007 replied to Larry77's topic in Emergency

   My strength is being a nurse in a clinical setting, it is what I do when I go to work. I am terrible at answering contrived scenario questions in an office setting, I only do that a handful of times a year. There's only so many situation type questio...

3. Earliest viable gestational age?

   texas2007 replied to everthesame's topic in NICU

   We get a lot of calls to transfer babies who are "24 weeks" or "26 weeks" etc. When our transport team gets there, it is quite obvious that the baby is no where near "26 weeks", more like 22 weeks with thin, plethoric, gelaneous skin and eyes fused e...

4. Low census anyone?

   texas2007 replied to Humbled_Nurse's topic in NICU

   We've been slow since January-ish, about 20-30 babies below normal. People getting cancelled and floated left and right. Actually, it's not that we don't have admissions bc we do, it's just they dont stay very long.

5. Do you let gastroschisis babies with silos be held?

   texas2007 replied to heymama1plus1's topic in NICU

   Not here either. I'm too nervous to even weigh these kids with a bedscale muchless get them out of bed...

6. Gum Chewing

   texas2007 replied to NinetyNine's topic in General Nursing

   We're not allowed to chew gum at my hospital...it is a violation of the health dept. and you can be fined $250 if caught!!

7. Neonatal Nurse Questionaire--PLEASE HELP ME OUT!

   texas2007 replied to tashadanielle1234321's topic in NICU

   what do you think the top 3 traits a neonatal nurse must have to excel? 1) ocd-like 2) not afraid to ask questions 3) good social skills to deal with families what do you enjoy most about being a neonatal nurse? babies getting to go home least? ba...

8. Pump problems and pressors?

   texas2007 replied to kitsune01's topic in NICU

   Does your facility normally run Dopamine by itself? The only thing I can think of is that perhaps the line was starting to clot off (thus the pressure increasing alarm.) and then the clot cleared and the kid got a mini bolus due to the syringe having...

9. Newborn Blood Screening Protocol

   texas2007 replied to nurse2teach's topic in NICU

   If we have a line available to draw the lab from, we will use that. If a kid has a line, they probably have some lab to draw along with the screening as well like a blood gas or chemistry panel for instance. We do not delay our screenings for any rea...

10. Help understanding monitors and apnea?

    texas2007 replied to WittleOnesRN's topic in NICU

    At my facility, we set our alarms to alarm for apnea after 20 seconds. Now if a baby is apneic and doesn't self correct, the bradycardia alarm pretty much goes off before the apnea alarm ever does. Most of the time that the apnea alarm goes off is ...

11. when to stop humidity in the isolette

    texas2007 replied to denicu's topic in NICU

    You still have it going at 30%?? You must live in a low humidity climate! Our normal air here runs ~40% humidity (on a good day!) so when we get to that is when we turn it off. I've also occasionally seen the MD's D/C it earlier than the standing ord...

12. Early feeds...good idea or recipe for disaster???

    texas2007 replied to BabyLady's topic in NICU

    It could just be a coincidence too...I don't have any literature to back me up but I feel like I've seen several spontaneous perfs in fresh micros that had either never eaten or weren't eating at the time. At lunch one day we were actually talking ab...

13. How low do you let your hemoglobins go before transfusing?

    texas2007 replied to iyqyqr's topic in NICU

    We have different levels that we will transfuse for based on resp. needs, age, gestational age at birth, discharge expected soon. We go by Hematocrit, not hemoglobin. Generally, our room airs/cannulas have to be

14. Formula / Breast Milk Fortification and Protein Supplements

    texas2007 replied to Sweeper933's topic in NICU

    Our unit also has milk techs that make up all the special formulas and any fortified EBM daily. I think to make 24 cal EBM they will use HMF. To make 27 cal EBM, they will mix the 24 cal FEBM with 30 cal formula to make 27 calorie FEBM. We rarely use...

15. Giving report....how much information is necessary to pass on?????

    texas2007 replied to BabyLady's topic in NICU

    I don't see anything wrong with how you gave report. I would have done the exact same. Heck, we don't even usually talk about a current PDA (or Apgars) unless it's a current concern (MD's thinking about indocin or ligating bc the baby's lungs are flo...