ckey01

Latest Activity

1. Guidelines for use of Freddy Frogs

   ckey01 posted a topic in NICU

   My NICU is working on expanding our use of developmental care products and we're starting with Freddy Frogs. I used them at my last hospital, but I don't think we had specific guidelines for their use. Our medical director is very hesitant to introdu...

2. 8 weeks of orientation

   ckey01 replied to ilsaj's topic in NICU

   What level is the NICU? Short answer is no, that isn't enough time. My residency was almost 6 months long and a mix of working on the unit with a preceptor and class work. It seemed like pretty much the perfect amount of time to at least get you some...

3. Men in Neonatal nursing

   ckey01 replied to guest904524's topic in NICU

   I'm one of three guys in my NICU and was the first in about 7 years when I started. I started as a new grad, which is the route I would definitely recommend if you intend to stay there for the long haul. NICU is an entirely different world and it's b...

4. Unplanned extubation while on orientation

   ckey01 replied to tictac's topic in NICU

   We don't do daily x-rays on our intubated kids, but we do get them at least weekly. I was surprised when OP said it had been 2 full weeks.

5. General peds or NICU opportunity

   ckey01 replied to MGMR's topic in NICU

   If you let the commute stop you, I think you'll regret it. If your heart is really in the NICU then you need to take your shot and get in there.

6. General peds or NICU opportunity

   ckey01 replied to MGMR's topic in NICU

   If NICU is your goal then you should do whatever you can to start in the NICU. It's an entirely different world and while the skills you develop in peds would definitely help, the best option is to learn in the NICU from the very start. While the co...

7. How can I prepare for NICU while in nursing school?

   ckey01 replied to frequentFLyER's topic in NICU

   Yep, totally possible. I started in a Level IIIc NICU right after graduating with my ADN. Just need to find the right hospital and start networking hard until you can get recommendations.

8. New Grad NICU Support Thread

   ckey01 replied to niculove's topic in NICU

   Agreed, that is not a safe assignment. I work in an extremely busy level IIIc unit and our oscillator kids are always 1:1.

9. Thanks

   ckey01 replied to Bortaz's topic in NICU

   Congrats on the pleasent first day! What field did you move too?

10. Night Shift Snack

    ckey01 replied to NextGenRPN's topic in General Nursing

    Cup of coffee w/ fruit snacks and some mini-muffins after my first round of assessments. I'll then eat lunch around 2am with a cherry coke and then have a granola bar real quick near the end of my shift.

11. What did you get for nurses week?

    ckey01 replied to BSNbeauty's topic in General Nursing

    Nada. But then, I work weekend nights and management always forget that we exist so I didn't really expect anything.

12. How to respond and act to a baby that is desatting?

    ckey01 replied to tinkerbell419's topic in NICU

    It entirely depends on the baby and what might be causing them to desat. If it's a bigger baby and reflux causes them problems, then sitting them up or stimulating them is usually enough to get them to stop periodic breathing and bring their sats bac...

13. Heparin containing maintance solutions and flushes for PIV

    ckey01 replied to 01bgent's topic in NICU

    Similar to the others, we do not use heparin in our PIVs. PICC, UVC/UAC, and central lines we use 1u/mL in whatever fluid is running. We also flush 2nd ports with 1ml of heparin every 6 hours.

14. Charge and Resus --How does your facility do it?

    ckey01 replied to HopefulRN2010's topic in NICU

    Our charge nurses do not take an assignment. They have a multitude of duties involved with staffing and admissions and help out around the unit. We are a 107-bed Level III NICU so we get a lot of deliveries. Because of that we have a dedicated resus...

15. What did you do before?

    ckey01 replied to jm0914's topic in NICU

    Same here.