NICU lighting

Specialties NICU

Published

  1. What does your unit do?

    • 26
      Isolette covered at all times.
    • 3
      Isolettes not covered, dim lighting.
    • 5
      Isolettes covered only at night, uncovered during day.
    • 5
      Isolettes never covered, standerd lighting.

39 members have participated

What do you do on your unit? How's it working out for your preemies?

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

I don't understand...They're "concerned about the noise level that the covers eliminates"? What am I missing..I should think eliminating or diminishing noise would be the goal.

(signed) DENSE...

Specializes in NICU.

Oh I've been around, just haven't taken time to respond to posts. I've tended to be hurried when I've read the boards lately for some reason...

I always read the NICU board first though!

Specializes in NICU.

I found a great web site with these little earmuffs for the babies. I WISH we had these!!! I can't tell you how much I want to kill people when they start slamming the isolette doors or drop things and you see the babies startle and try to soothe themselves. Grrr.

http://www.natus-neonatal.com/index/page/products-minimuffs

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

We have the earmuffs, but we don't use them hardly at all...maybe on the big kids on oscillatory or nitric, but they stick to the kids head with adhesive and then their ears get all goopy and nasty..and the adhesive is like super glue. We avoid them at all costs. We also us them on transport in the helicopter on the big sick kids. We will put a washcloth over a baby's head to muffles sounds.

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

We have put blankets in the bottom of trash cans, and worked w/housekeeping to decrease the noise of things being dropped in trash cans or laundry hamper lids being closed. People in the nursery have become more committed after a very long time to making things better for the babies, which is the bottom line.

BUT--it has taken YEARS, and there are still folks that blow "all that touchy feely" stuff off--just less and less of them. And the ones that are there are a lot more quiet in their opposition, mostly because nurses who do try to improve the environment hastle them. So they just shut up and go with the flow--ok by me.

Oh man! If I had a dime for every time I cringed when a ding dong co worker tossed a formula container in the trash next to some 25 weeker!!!! Why is he desating?? DUHH!!!!!

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Dawn--We had the same problem--then we decided to recycle the formula bottles as "glass trash". The hospital already has a recycling program, so we got them to add the bottles. They have their own special trash can away from the babies, all the nurses have to do is place the empties near the cinks, and the housekeeper or aide du jour picks them up from there.

These systems take time to put into place, but its worth it.

Specializes in NICU.

It's good that our housekeepers empty our trash several times per shift because they trash cans are rarely full (and we have the little short ones next to the beds). BUT-- it's so easy to drop bottles in and make a big noise since the cans are so frequently empty or almost empty! We use mostly similac which has plastic bottles, but they make just as much noise. Those dirty linens holders can be loud too if the lid slams shut.

Our housekeepers are pretty good about not slamming stuff around. The usually apologize if something accidently bangs. Nice of them.

We use the MiniMuffs - tho not as often as we should. We put a little cotton on the adhesive so it's not quite as tenacious.

It sure is hard to convince some people to be quiet around sensitive babies!

I have been tempted to dim lights and cover isolettes/cribs, But I work in a level II so many of my babies are not on monitors.

I get nervous not being able to see their color.

Any suggestions?

we tend to work with minimal lighting and now have dimmer switches in the ITC rooms Lights in general are only put on full if we have a problem. We also have a go at defigning night and day but it can be hard if you are busy with a lot of sick babies needing alot of intervention.

We also cover incubators but it does depend on whos working in a room a sto how much they're used.

We do have a quiet time between 12 and 2 when its parents only and Dr's only if theres an emergancy.

My bugbare are the bins they are so hard to close quietly

Specializes in NICU.

I work in a busy level II nursery-we cover the isolettes with quilts that have been made by the volunteers. We also dress our babies in real baby clothes (not just hospital t-shirts), mostly donated by families of the babies we have had in the nursery. We have enough donated that we can give away clothing to families in need. Quilts and clothing are washed by some staff members, no problems with infection-and we have been doing this for years.

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