BrandNewBabyNurse

BrandNewBabyNurse specializes in NICU.

Latest Activity

1. NICU visitation policies needed

   BrandNewBabyNurse replied to anicu's topic in NICU

   NICU level: IV private patient rooms: 85 number at bedside: technically 4, but up to nurse to enforce. who can visit: parents/grandparents/siblings, friends with parents or alone if on "allowed" list. when can you visit: Parents/grandparents/siblin...

2. Vitals Check for pts. on Respiratory Support

   BrandNewBabyNurse replied to JThieman's topic in NICU

   Up until about 3 months ago, we charted hourly vitals on every patient except those in our separate step-down unit. Now we chart hourly vitals on all patients who are on more than low-flow NC, but room air or LFNC babies are q3 hour vitals with touch...

3. NICU Cribs/Beds

   BrandNewBabyNurse replied to nickirnak's topic in NICU

   Haha well I should've clarified further. We only keep the rails flush if the kid is nested and (usually) sedated. When we have a really big kid, like 6 mos- 1 yr, who is maybe alert and more developmentally advanced, then we keep the rails up halfway...

4. Nursery/NICU linen changes

   BrandNewBabyNurse replied to first123's topic in NICU

   We do 3X weekly and then obviously PRN as well. I'd say it probably works out to almost every day with all of the PRN changes.

5. NICU Cribs/Beds

   BrandNewBabyNurse replied to nickirnak's topic in NICU

   We put our low acuity, temp-stable, kids into those cribs in the first post as soon as they're ready, but the ones we have are too small for our bigger kiddos. We put our large/chronic sick kids (lines/vents/trachs/etc.) into these big cribs by Stryk...

6. How Soon to Start?

   BrandNewBabyNurse posted a topic in Travel

   Hi AN friends! I'm really thinking about starting a travel stint next spring - probably looking at doing 3 assignments between spring 2018 and early 2019. It's such a tough choice because I really love the job I have now (NICU in a large Level IV ch...

7. Do you have a free charge nurse on your unit?

   BrandNewBabyNurse replied to EllaBella1's topic in General Nursing

   I work in a very large children's hospital NICU. We have 2 charge nurses and 2 resource nurses per shift, and none of them ever take patients. I've seen the second charge admit a couple times while we were hustling to redistribute assignments in the ...

8. IV securement

   BrandNewBabyNurse replied to ScammRNC's topic in NICU

   We use infant IV Tegaderms plus a little clear tape if needed. Usually with a Posey around an arm/foot board, or a piece of gauze underneath if it's a scalp stick.

9. How is everyone's first year going?

   BrandNewBabyNurse replied to Purple_roses's topic in New Nurse

   I'm quickly approaching my one year mark in a large Neonatal ICU, and I have to say, this last month has been one of my hardest yet. I'm definitely through the honeymoon phase, and I'm not sure I would call this phase disillusioned, but it's been tou...

10. What's your experience in a level 2 NICU/ step down ?

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to grobertson10's topic in NICU

    I work in a large Level IV NICU that has an attached "step down" or Level II-esque unit also. It's definitely busy in that you have 3-4 babies who need to be changed, fed, assessed, given oral meds, etc... but it doesn't have that high acuity stress ...

11. Level 2 Ratios

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to jennylee321's topic in NICU

    I work in a very large level IV unit that has a semi-separate level II area. It generally has a group of devotees who mainly staff it, but anyone is fair game to get sent over there if need be. It's 3:1 assignments mostly, or 4:1 if you have a tech w...

12. NICU New Grad

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to danceluver's topic in NICU

    As much as I dislike night shift, I would WAY rather work all nights than be on a rotating day/night schedule. At least with clustering my 3 shifts a week I can power through and then spend the other half of the week like a semi-normal functioning hu...

13. NICU New Grad

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to danceluver's topic in NICU

    Where I work, all new grads are oriented on days and then switch to nights until you have enough seniority to come back to days. The reason we orient on days is because of the number of planned procedures that otherwise only occur at night under emer...

14. Central lines and CLABSI

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to johnsonmich990's topic in NICU

    Several years ago our unit set out to really attack infection risks in our micro population, and it was found that doing a full sterile tubing change Q24 lowered our infection rates in the teeny tinies. There's also a practical component in that the ...

15. Central lines and CLABSI

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to johnsonmich990's topic in NICU

    We also do 24h change out for IL and med infusions, the 72h is for continuous fluids. A new bag is clean spiked every 24h though, and then the full sterile line change is q72. Also forgot to mention that we use clear Microclave's on the ends of all f...