I only have two hands

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Specializes in NICU.

i am so frustrated right now. i had one of those nights were you start off behind and never see the surface again for 12 or more hours. i started the shift by getting report and alerted to leaving r.n. that i.v. looked like it was bad and she said that we should keep it in even though it had a red streak, was swollen, and blanching when flushed because the baby had 10 more days of i.v. antibiotics to give. i said keep what the i.v. was bad. she said it took 15 sticks to get that i.v. in. so i hoped and prayed for miracle dust to help the nnp with a picc line but of course 12 sticks 1.5 hours and 4 people no picc or piv i had to give ampicillin and gentamycin im poor baby. this is after hunting down the residents and trying to make them write the orders. then i had to get 2ml blood out of this poor baby. and the baby is a hydrocephalus post shunt repair with ivh, cysts, and enlarged vetricles that is either having central cyanosis or seizures. i had to hunt the residents down for orders 3 times for digoxin switched to po from iv due to the no access they kept writing it incorrect.

:no: :no: :no: i felt like i did not have enough of me to be multiple people and doing multiple duties. i also had another baby that was all po and wanting to eat. i hate nights like that. oh yeah and when i talked to the attending about the poor babies issues he tried to get the piv but could not and said to watch the apnea and that the baby should not have been extubated that day (thanks for the insight). i felt like i needed to do my job and make sure that everyone else was pushed to do there job.

:uhoh3::uhoh3::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

:spbox::spbox::spbox::spbox:

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I hate nights when you just cannot get things done. It sounds like you were doing the best you could.

I wish I had further insights, but I don;t work NICU. I am glad that you could get some frustration out though on here.

Good luck to you the next time you work!!

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

At that point, the docs should have called in peds surgery to put in a broviac, or done a cutdown with pain meds. Sad.

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Specializes in NICU.

15 sticks and then 12 sticks?!?!??!?!

OH MY GOSH!!

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Kinda really defeats the purpose of even giving antibiotics, no?

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

A human pincushion..... or tenderized steak

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Specializes in NICU.
A human pincushion..... or tenderized steak

Yeah really.

The kid is on abx, but is poked 20+ times, what's the point? The risk for infection from so many pokes outweighs the abx, I would think.

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Specializes in NICU.

If the baby has all those complications, and 10 more days of abx, he really needs a central line (broviac) asap!

Sorry for your crappy night...:(

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

grrrrrr. I HATE those nights when I feel like i'm chasing my tail to get stuff done, and it's my babies that get the shortest end of the stick.

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Specializes in NICU.
Yeah really.

The kid is on abx, but is poked 20+ times, what's the point? The risk for infection from so many pokes outweighs the abx, I would think.

Well they are thinking that his VP shunt was infected and he really was still acting septic.

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Specializes in NICU.

Good news he got a PICC line and was intubated the next day. The poor baby is on the mend. But he may have to have another shunt placed after the antibiotics are done.

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