Geez...quit having babies already!!

Specialties NICU

Published

We are over capacity in our unit...we have been needing 21-25 nurses per shift and that is not easy to cover!!!! We closed to all transports including maternal! We may be sending some of the older bigger kids to board on the peds floors and in PICU! Ack!

How are things in your neck of the woods?

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
I used to have a trached baby; she would throw a snit, bronchospasm, turn purple, etc. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her TCM reading 3 digits. @ that point it doesn't matter WHAT the actual # is! I think that kid knocked a few years off my life.

By the way, she's ~ 10 now, has had hearing problems, but is doing well in school (I think she's in a special class for hearing impaired, but otherwise grade level). Amazing little kid.

Nice to hear that some actually survive and have some quality of life. I have to wonder, though, about doing all you all do on kids under 26 weeks. How many real success stories to do have to tell? I worked years ago in a place with a Level III and nothing under 26 or 27 was even given a cursory attempt at resuscitation. I know technology has given us the methods we didn't have then, but honestly, how do you all feel about the efforts, costs and sorrow that comes inevitably?

The place I now work in has an NICU for 32 weeks and above, so we don't see all those horror stories you are telling. I'm really curious as to how those of you in those trenches feel about it.

Thanks.

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

We can get into a HUGE battle over that issue, not really the topic of this thread, imo.

The baby I was talking about started as a 32 wkr, no head problems. Issues were airway and lung related. She had a very rough start, in the hospital for almost a year, had a home ventilator, lots of support, but gradually, slowly but surely, she got better.

She has hearing problems, in all likelihood, from antibiotics. She has a terrific quality of life, and an awesome family.

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Specializes in Level III NICU.

We've been pretty steadily busy for the last YEAR! With the exception of about a week back in the fall when our census dropped to 22 or 23, we have been at about 35 or more babies. We're a 40 bed level III. Over the summer was the worst, when we had 40+ for WEEKS. Like, over 50. Oh yeah, and a whole bunch of new nurses to precept. Fun. Luckily, we're much better staffed now and our census is reasonable now. We usually have 16-18 nurses per shift.

We do have a bunch of itty-bitties though. A set of 24 week twins (both HFOV, one with multiple CT, etc.), a few 25 weekers. Also, we have 2 kids on insulin drips, which I have only seen once before in 3.5 years in NICU.

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We have been running full or nearly full needing to back transport or move kids to the PICU or Peds Floor for over 5 years...our staff has grown to 90 nurses.

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Specializes in neonatal.

Lately we've all been having dreams of putting our kids in bunkbed bassinettes. All jokes aside our census was 80 on Sunday. We are currently working with 37-40 nurses per shift. Amid all this fun and excitement we have went to ECMO in the unit, electronic MAR's, opened a new area of the unit, and are getting ready to open another area. Before the new areas opened we were considered a 53 bed unit. HaHa! Now we are a 65 bed unit...with 80 patients. We are set for a major expansion in 2010...we can't wait! :bugeyes:

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