How does your NICU unit run?

[LucyRn4]

I am a NICU nurse and *might* do travel nursing. I was just curious how different NICUs operate across the U.S.

For example, in our level II, the babies eat at 9,12,3, and 6. We do vitals Q4 hrs.

In level III, for the micro premies, we do touch time at 8 and 2, vitals Q2 hrs.

Labs/weights are for night shift.

IV fluid changes/procedures happen on day shift.

Any input is helpful! Thank you

[NICURN29]

Ideally, if I have two patients, one is on each schedule. And the goal is for the feeding to start at the care time, so the assessments and cares are done with that goal in mind. If I have two babies on the same schedule, I just always care for them in the same order all day.

[fifita2010]

As for 3-4 babies on the same schedule you use common sense and stagger feeds. The next nurse most likely will not have my same assignment so we do the best we can keeping them on "schedule". It's not the ideal, but it does happen.

[Janetnzrn]

Wow! That sounds very regimented. Of course I work overseas, but we do cue based cares for our level 3 babies, with hourly monitor obs and touch obs with cares. So anywhere between 3-6 hours depending on the acuity. Feeds are dependent on tolerance. Kangaroo cares are scheduled with the parents to avoid shift change and doctors rounds, but can then happen at anytime and for as long as tolerated. I think the best thing to do is not to compare the different policies and just "when in Rome..." There's nothing more annoying than a new or traveling nurse saying "in ..... We did it better/differently" go traveling based on what part of the country you want to experience! And consider overseas as well!

[champagnesupeRNova]

I'm surprised how many places do scheduled routine assessment times. In my NICU, we have either q2, q3, or--rarely and only for the bigger kids--q4 assessment/feeding times. Most are q3. The babies that are almost going home are on a "demand" schedule and get fed and assessed when they wake up to eat. We do full assessments twice a shift and just vitals/diaper changes in between. Fluids are changed on nights as well as labs and isolette changes. Day shift does NG/OG/Salem tube changes.