As seen on Reddit: Live-streaming camera in a NICU

elkpark · Feb 22, 2014

My medical center's latest newsletter said we are going to start offering this soon, also.

katierobin23 · Feb 22, 2014

I think it's a great idea, if I were a parent it's something I would want. They seemed to address all of the issues that I could think of, like being able to turn it off for procedures.

I would have some questions, like is there sound? Could parents overhear us talking about other babies?

I would also be worried that something would happen and we would forgot to turn the camera off...like in a code situation. Hopefully the parents would already be there, but that doesn't always happen...and in that situation, getting them to the hospital would be our priority...remembering to turn the camera off might not be. It would be horrible for family members to find out that's happening by logging in to check on the baby one last time before bed or something.

Overall I think it's a great idea, something that we would have to get used to though for sure.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Feb 22, 2014

One of our neighboring hospital systems uses FaceTime so the moms in the delivering hospital or who can't come right away can see the baby via IPad. The hospital has IPads for the moms to use in the hospital. Ben around here use the video systems, plus you would ave to be in private rooms for this to work.

zanmilasante · Feb 23, 2014

Great idea. Nothing replaces real hospital visits, but it sounds like a great additional resource.

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Feb 23, 2014

It is an inevitability that some nimrod nurse or RT or something will, after acclimating to having the camera (and forgetting it, as we're wont to do) will make some comment/do something stupid and get their hospital sued when the parents see it.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2014

It is an inevitability that some nimrod nurse or RT or something will, after acclimating to having the camera (and forgetting it, as we're wont to do) will make some comment/do something stupid and get their hospital sued when the parents see it.

The parents are supposed to sign a release saying they won't record the video and won't/can't use it for any purposes of suing... Which I'm sure a lawyer could still get around. It doesn't show personnel (or other pts) unless you point it at yourself and it doesn't have audio.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Feb 25, 2014

We've been using it a little while, or something like it. At present, there is no audio. Apparently in the future, there might be availability for one way audio (parents to infant only, not the other way). What we have is only available as an attachment to Giraffe beds. The hardware is on an arm much like like the spotlight and pretty much looks just like it until you examine it more closely. For this reason, I believe it would be impossible to "forget" it should there be a true code, it would likely be in the way. It would be quite possible to do usual hands-on cares and forget to turn the camera away.

It hasn't been nearly as annoying as most of us predicted. We have had to kind of educate the parents about how we turn the cameras off routinely for cares. Had one mom that would call me every 3 hours to let me know the camera was off. I would not come to the phone and would have the person who answered the phone let her know, yes, camera's off, nurse is in the bed, she will turn the camera on when she's done. Call back in 15 minutes if you want an update.

ETA: The parents really really love it. Sometimes the parents will write notes about the infant's latest weight update to share with their friends/family that have the access code.