developmental care help!

prmenrs, RN · Feb 7, 2003

I admit to having a hard time believing this post in the first place. Sorry.

curlilocks23 · Feb 7, 2003

we don't do ECMO, but we do cardiacs. i promise this post is true, no reason to make it up. i can't refuse my assignment right now, i need my job. maybe a call to the board of nursing WOULD help. thanks for everybody's advice.

kids · Feb 7, 2003

No suggestions on solving the problem...not my area of expertese but I can tell you what a nightmare it is to bring home a baby that thas been kept stripped neked in a noisy room with overhead lighting 24/7 from birth to a couple of weeks old. Love the hospital, love the doctors and nurses...did not love helping teach my grandson it is a nice thing to be swaddled and sleep in a quiet darkened room (and we wonder why he will only sleep while being held...)

Heather333 · Feb 7, 2003

I would have to say that are unit is very developmentally friendly. If the baby is not on lights and in an isolette, we put isolette covers on (they are white on the outside and dark blue on the inside so no light gets through). All babies are put in snugglies immediately after being stablized whether they stay on the warmer or go in an isolette. Even the micro-preemies. We have very few kids that end up w/ bleeds, CP, etc. We are a level III and do anything but ECMO and cardiac.

Heather

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Feb 7, 2003

I am having a hard time with this too. When JCHAO comes around, your unit manager has to show staffing, records, etc. How do you stay in business? There are specific criteria for NICU's and they don't fool around with them because they can lose that Level 3-4 status.

I really don't see how you can handle that many kids. It is impossible. Especially if you have cardiacs that require hours of one on one.

Also, you can't be fired for not taking an unfair assignment, as long as you have not rec. report and taken responsibility for those kids. Your unit has a big management problem if this is true.

lily0004us · Feb 8, 2003

curlilocks23 · Feb 8, 2003

there is one head neonatologist (the one i told you about above), 4 other neonatologists (under him) and then NNP's. our nurse managers used to work on the unit, so they know this goes on, but are busy w/ staffing,etc. i guess. this has always been the practice. i really don't feel safe, however nobody can change that situation but me.we rush through taking care of the babies to move on to the next one. it's not good for the babies or for the nurses. by the way, i loved the t-shirt idea that was posted above, i have passed this on to some of my friends in other nicu's. have a good weekend, everybody.

i had previously listed what my assigned babies were like today, but i am not sure if it violated confidentiality so i edited it.

prmenrs, RN · Feb 8, 2003

Lily--your unit would be considered a Level IV IMO b/o of the ECMO; I'm not sure it's an "official" designation.

MEtheBabiesRN · Feb 9, 2003

In Dallas we did ECMO too but we were called level III.

travelingtweety · Feb 10, 2003

Like so many others have said, this is even hard to believe because it's so out of range of even a badly staffed unit. What is the staffing like in other NICU's in your area? It's hard to understand how the hospital is even able to hire nurses into your unit. It sounds like a letter to the local news or newspaper would be in order. Don't any of the families complain about the lack of care?

I'm in a Level III and we do 4 feeder/growers, 3 oxyhood/running IV or 1-2 vent pts. per RN. We have no techs or assistants.

Good luck to you. Remember there's a nursing shortage...go someplace else to work. There is no shortage of JOBS!

EXOTIC NURSE, RN · Feb 10, 2003

Yes my unit is actually a Level IV as well we have ECMO and Cardaic babies too....but like prmenrs said it is not really official designation from what I have heard from my co workers on that subject. Regular assignments for us are 3-4 feeders growers 3 oxyhood/cpap and 1-2 vents... :nurse:

curlilocks23 · Feb 10, 2003

there are 4 other much smaller nicu's in the area: they try to staff 1:3 at the very most or 1:4 feeder/growers. yes, some families complain about lack of care, however, most of our mom's are very young, some are really uneducated, and we have lots of drug babies so frankly, some of them just don't care. i am trying to get on at one of the smaller nicu's in the area, i work there prn (not enough to pay the bills on, though) and hopefully a fulltime will come available soon.