Do regular "newborn nurseries" still exist?

Specialties NICU

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Specializes in NICU, Peds, Med-Surg.

Hi, I used to work in "regular" newborn nursery and NICU, but in the past several years, I've been working with adults, so I'm out of this loop...... it seems the trend is NO "well baby" nursery anymore, and the baby stays with Mom in her room the entire time.

Do any facilities still provide a nursery so if Mom is in pain/ tired/ in surgery, the baby is kept there? I'm so curious because I NEVER see ads for Nursery nurses, only "Mom/Baby/Couplet"......I DID see an unusual ad this week for an RN for "Newborn Nursery" and thought "Wow! Didn't think those existed anymore!" (I would LOVE to work in one again!!!)

Hope it's okay to post this here,since this is a CRITICAL care board, but my question didn't seem to fit in the "OB/Gyn" board....thanks!

Two of the hospitals I did clinicals at had "newborn nurseries" where babies could go if mom wanted/needed time to rest and recoup. Most of the babies were in Moms room all the time but there were a few that would go back to the nursery for a while.

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

We encourage rooming-in w/ mom and most babies do, but we do have a regular newborn nursery. We also keep babies who need to stay in-house after mom is d/ced but aren't necessarily sick enough to go to NICU. (Bilibeds, IV abx, methadone withdrawal, or if they need to stablize their weight).

Specializes in NICU.

We have a regular NBN in addition to our NICU. They do encourage the babies rooming in with mom, but a lot of the babies will spend the night in the nursery so the moms can get some rest. All then nurses on our post partum floor rotate between having mom/baby couples, and being the nursery nurse where they admit the new babies and keep an eye on the ones staying over night. The newborns with slightly high bilis and are under photo also stay in the nursery.

When we as NICU nurses float up there, we become the nursery nurse and just admit the newborns to the nursery (initial assessments, baths...). They then get "DC'd" out to the floor where they are then part of the "couplet".

Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

They certainly do exist, although most progressive hospitals are leaning toward couplet care. The WBN admits, bathes, assesses, etc...then off to mom. They do have the option of leaving the baby in WBN overnight to sleep. You might try looking at "mother/baby" or postpartum job listings. Most M/B, PP floors rotate RNs between PP and WBN/MB.

Specializes in Pediatrics, NICU, ER, PICU.

They still exist here in Louisiana! Absolutely, I have always encouraged the mom to send the baby to the nursery so she can get some rest when she needs it! And I have seen too many accidents happen because the baby "rooms in" when the mother is clearly not capable of taking care of herself much less the baby.

Specializes in NICU.

NBN are around, but like it was said above, babies are rooming in with mom more and more. Many hospitals have "One Room" systems where delivery suite becomes a post-partum room and the baby stays with mom unless mom needs/wants a break. NBN are getting smaller by the day, but they are out there and babies do still go to NBN for the occasional antibiotic and phototherapy. They also go to NBN for labs that need to be drawn (New Born Screen) and for pediatrician assessment (although both can be done in mom's room).

Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

Geez. I wish our WBN did ABX and phototherapy. Then we'd actually be at capacity instead of 20 over all the time.

Hi, I used to work in "regular" newborn nursery and NICU, but in the past several years, I've been working with adults, so I'm out of this loop...... it seems the trend is NO "well baby" nursery anymore, and the baby stays with Mom in her room the entire time.

Do any facilities still provide a nursery so if Mom is in pain/ tired/ in surgery, the baby is kept there? I'm so curious because I NEVER see ads for Nursery nurses, only "Mom/Baby/Couplet"......I DID see an unusual ad this week for an RN for "Newborn Nursery" and thought "Wow! Didn't think those existed anymore!" (I would LOVE to work in one again!!!)

Hope it's okay to post this here,since this is a CRITICAL care board, but my question didn't seem to fit in the "OB/Gyn" board....thanks!

Gosh yes there is in our area many.

We have a large newborn nursery in my hospital (maryland). It's not uncommon for them to have 50+ babies down there. Yes, many of them room in but there are always a ton of babies down there all times of the day/night. They won't do ABX but they will do bili lights. They don't do transitions either..all of those come straight to us. They also have very strict pulsox requirements. Any baby with a ongoing sat less than 96 is coming up to see us.

Do you have a guideline for NBN ratios?? When I was hired.transferred to NBN they told me the ratio was 1 to 6 we are taking 8 and sometimes 9 babies even when they have bili lights etc...it is scary and we can't get the moms to take their babies this is the valley and these moms have kids like it is a fulltime job. 24 yr olds on their 8th kid but to make a long story short we are forced to taking 8 or more kids and it is crazy

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