Any Nicu Nurses Experience -double Bunking In The Nicu

nurseiam · Jan 11, 2004

We double bunk most of our babies in cribs and isolettes, i never thought of it as fraud but it sure doesn't keep the infection rate down!

4thebabes · Jan 11, 2004

we double bunk radiant warmers/isolettes/open cribs and even when we have open bed spaces..our infection rate is high as you'd imagine..is this the norm?

it just seems wrong, i couldnt imagine seeing my mom in the icu doubled with another patient let alone if both were immunocompromised.

nurseiam · Jan 11, 2004

our bed spaces are big enough for a warmer or two cribs/isolettes. If there is space we spread out but we have a 64 bed unit that is a transport center so we take as many as staffing allows!

I wouldn't want to see any one with my mom in the ICU either!

But we do what we have to to help these babies and stay as close to their family as possible. Some live 3 hours away and the next level III NICU is another hour away!

4thebabes · Jan 11, 2004

thanks for the replies..we too are a 65 bed unit ,level 3, however we are one of six level 3's in the city.seems others could take kids when the census goes over 70...?we often take kids turfed to us when others are full...

dragonfly954 · Jan 11, 2004

4thebabes,do you mind me asking your city?I am not a nicu nurse and we only have 3 small hospitals in about 50 miles.I was just shocked to see 6 or 7 level 3's.We have 1 about 60 miles away where all our babies from the tri-county area are sent.We do have a level 2 12 bed unit.Often the babies are born at the level 2 out of necessity and flown to the level3,then returned as they are just there to gain wt and grow.By doublebunking do you mean 2 babies in the same bed?Please tell me I have the wrong mental picture:eek:

4thebabes · Jan 11, 2004

chicago....our bedspaces are approx.6x8 we take isolettes/cribs/radiant warmers and back them up to each other in one bedspace and set up portable monitoring equip.

i too used to think it was for the babies and that we needed to help them but with increased infections..i.e mrsa outbreaks..i'm not so sure were really helping the babies too much.

i've worked agency in other nicu's in the city and havent found

doublebunking a common practice..

dragonfly954 · Jan 11, 2004

4thebabes,please don't think i'm anidiot for asking about the bedspace.i read about cobedding in here once and they meant putting them in the same bed(twins).i was hoping it wasn't the same thing.sorry for the ignorant question!

fergus51 · Jan 11, 2004

How does this work if there is an emergency? Can both babies be suctionned or bagged from that one bedspace? What about infection control?

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jan 11, 2004

Dragonfly, don't worry - I thought the same thing when I read the post at first! No question on this board is ignorant.

I work in a 50-bed level III NICU. We never go over 50 for our census. Once it gets to 45 we close to all transports, and at that point we also start sending feeder/growers to board in the normal newborn nursery until they are able to go home.

LydiaGreen · Jan 11, 2004

Babies in NICU are not exactly healthy... tubes, etc... How does double bunking affect THAT? With mom #1 trying to hug baby #1, are baby #2's tubes being tugged on? I am really curious to know what the parents have to say! As far as census... that's ludicrous... I mean, you are designated as having say 10 NICU beds, how on earth can the jusitfy having 20 babies in the NICU with only 10 beds. Sounds like a horrible risk for infection. What happens when baby #1 and baby #2 bond and then are taken away from each other... I know they aren't exactly playing dominoes together, but just laying together forms an attachment... what happens when that other warm body isn't there 24-7?

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2004

Not fraud, but may be something JCHAO is interestered in. We constantly go over our maximum allowed census and it was not overlooked when the state came to visit. We'd put babies in desk drawers if we had the monitors!