heartwort

Latest Activity

1. neonatal websites

   heartwort replied to Humbled_Nurse's topic in NICU

   I love that site. Great way to get caught up on some CEU's when you've got some downtime at work and it's better than going to amazon!! Here's another site: http://dortoms.com/nicu/nicu.asp The Cheat Sheet is pretty cool for new nurses the site has ...

2. NICU Pet Peeves

   heartwort replied to heartwort's topic in NICU

   This is true but in my experience there are times when a parent or doc is the first to touch a child and that is not when you want to be out of diapers. I think if you use the last of something you should replace it. Some of this might come down t...

3. Expertise wanted!!

   heartwort replied to Nurse Man-ingitis's topic in NICU

   I don't know of any NNPs that work in a clinic setting. They can have roles other than clinical in the hospital but that's usually their focus. If you know you want cardiovascular I'd consider starting with that and then working your way into Peds. ...

4. How do you mark the length of the feeding tube

   heartwort replied to chescat58, RNC-NIC's topic in NICU

   I forgot about sumps/replogles. The ones I've used are marked every 5 cms. Weighted tubes (usually placed in the duodenom) aren't marked either. A good way to verify those tubes for sure is to measure from the distal end to the insertion site.

5. auscultating on HFOV

   heartwort replied to pooperscooperrn0624's topic in NICU

   I listen. Your not detecting "clear and equal" but you can hear decreased vibrations in an area that is atalectic, it can raise red flags for pneumos and if the left side is down your patient might be right main-stemmed. Sight and feel can be of l...

6. NICU Pet Peeves

   heartwort replied to heartwort's topic in NICU

   Thanks for reading. I hope our nit-picking is useful. It's the little things that make a good nurse and there is a lot you can miss in orientation. (Another of my pet peeves: slack orientation programs.)

7. NICU Pet Peeves

   heartwort replied to heartwort's topic in NICU

   I'll second (or third) that. But even more so I don't like it when kids having procedures done aren't contained. I can't say how many times I see a nurse putting an IV in holding on to a limb for dear life while the rest of the baby is flailing all...

8. NICU Pet Peeves

   heartwort posted a topic in NICU

   We've all got them. Those things we find that just get us riled. Perhaps reviewing them will help newer nurses. Perhaps writing about them will just let us vent. Here's mine: OGTs that aren't in far enough. The OGT may be in and secured where it ...

9. How do you mark the length of the feeding tube

   heartwort replied to chescat58, RNC-NIC's topic in NICU

   I use a skinny piece of pink tape at the insertion site. Pink tape sticks well. You have to watch for slippage on babies that get slimy. I have found a piece of transpore tape in a baby's mouth before when it was used to mark an OG tube. Tegaderm ...

10. Holding an intubated baby with a UAC

    heartwort replied to elizabells's topic in NICU

    I've done kangaroo care with babes under a kilo. Lines and tubes shouldn't be the issue so much as if the baby tolerate the move. I wouldn't move a kid on vasopressors if I could avoid it. Moving a baby with lines and tubes just takes some plannin...

11. Visiting Guidelines

    heartwort replied to NICURN29's topic in NICU

    The last couple of units I've worked in have been similar. Some variations: Grandparents can visit if their on the 'list' without a parent or banded support person present. One unit required visitor's where a gown; one did not. One unit siblings had...