Mag Sulfate policy

[USA987]

Hi all...

I am on a committee revising our Mag Sulfate policy or guideline specifically for PIH. We've had issues where the patient is transferred off of our unit to ICU/Telemetry while still on Mag and they have no idea how to run it.

I'm working with an ICU nurse on this and she wants to put it in a carepath format.

Can anyone share with me what their facility uses? Also, I'm interests in knowing what type of format you are currently using.

Thank you!

[MIA-RN1, RN]

Our PP mag patients and their babies are on our PP floor. We do hourly vitals, reflexes and I/O. They care for their babies as best they can on bedrest, including feeding, holding, etc. No foley--they are allowed bathroom privelidges. Sometimes I will see one walking in the hall with her IV pole but not often. The mag couplet is just figured into our assignments as any other couplet--we usually have four or five couplets or maybe three or four couplets w/ an antpartum or an overflow surgical pt.

I don't think its safe; mag is scary stuff. They don't check levels unless pt develops sx of mag toxicity. Most of them feel like crap as they get closer to the end of the tx.