CNA in the NICU

[karnicurnc, MSN, APRN, CNS]

Hi,

Just curious if your NICU employs nursing or patient care assistants and what some of their responsibilities might be, such as PO feeding stable infants, taking vitals, NG/OG feedings after placement is checked by the RN, etc.

Thanks!

[guest769224]

I currently work as a NICU CNA in a large level III, until I graduate shortly from now.

Most of my job duties include stocking bedside carts, important items, intubation kit, picc line carts, cleaning isolettes, giraffes, etc.

Being a runner for the RN's during a code or crashing baby. I also draw labs off placentas and take them down to lab for additional screenings/studies. I stock the C section room/OR across the hall from the NICU with various supplies.

My unit does not allow the NICU tech to do vitals or NG/OG feedings. Answering phone calls, paging doctors, inputting chart orders, checking parents and visitors in, etc.

The unit does allow me to feed stable, easy feeder-growers.

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

Our techs mostly stock, clean equipment, and function as the secretary for the nursing station they are assigned to. They will run to get supplies and equipment when needed. They don't do any patient care.

The nurse techs orient like the nurses and can do many things except gavage feedings through NG/OG and administering meds and a few other things. They can do a lot with the nurse present including heel sticks, IV starts, nippling, gavage through PEGs.

[denicu]

Hi,

Just curious if your NICU employs nursing or patient care assistants and what some of their responsibilities might be, such as PO feeding stable infants, taking vitals, NG/OG feedings after placement is checked by the RN, etc.

Thanks!

If they are nursing students in their last yr they can do VS, po and ng/og feed. Reg CNA that is floated from other areas just do VS and po feed. One place that I worked,the CNA could do lab work because prev they were lab techs that did labs in the unit, then they were cross trained to NICU.

[prmenrs, RN]

Some nursing students can do an internship if arranged by the school and nurse managers. CNAs do the tasks listed by ICUman and Miiki. The unit could not function w/o a clerk and CNA. They are busy people!!