Mother/Baby Advice!

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Hi All!

New user and first post here!

I recently accepted a job on a mother/baby unit starting next week. It is a major university hospital with 6200-6400 births a year. I am still somewhat of a new grad, May 2013, with 11 months experience at a pediatric primary care office. I was hoping to get some questions answered/ advice given!

Any time management secrets? What are some supplies/gadgets you keep in your pockets that you might need? Most common questions you get asked from parents? What should I review now before I am actually on the floor? Any preceptors, what would you say your new hires need most help with? I'm sure I will update the thread with more questions!

I am nervous and excited and everything in between and just trying to grasp things a little before reality starts!

Thanks all!! :)

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I would first do a search here on allnurses.com . You will find a ton of threads to answer your questions.

I love working in mother/baby ! My advice is to ask plenty of questions, soak up as much information as you can while on orientation and afterwards. Invest in a good maternal-newborn clinical book, that can be a good resource. Even the one used in nursing school will be fine. Good luck and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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I recently transferred a baby to PP unit after 2 hours old with a temp of 97.2 ax after bath which was all done in warmer under radiant heat up, baby was then quickly dried, t shirt, diaper and wamed hat, swaddled in 3 recieving blankets. Instructed not to uncover because temp was a little low. I was let go because as a experienced L&D RN i should have asked what protocol was. My preceptor did not tell me that I had to stabilize to 97.6 first and do BS. Normal term with average weight, sucked well, lusty cry and vigorous. My question shouldn't the thermal regulation interventions I initiated be sufficient for a mild hypothermic otherwise normal neonate ? Couplet care in recovery is 2 hours and was told I needed to speed up getting my recoveries out.

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

I love mother baby! I precepted there, so while I'm not super experienced, I've been sort of the new person.

Carry a few flushes and 10ml syringes for removing Foleys. Alcohol wipes, lanolin, hemostats, scissors, tape...

I really like using a multi-colored pen. Here's what I do:

Blue: take report

Black: make notes throughout shift

Green: write or underline anything that needs to be passed on to next shift

Red: to do, make boxes next to stuff to do

I write down everything that needs to happen for sure- assessments, meds, procedures, discharges, whatever. I then write out each hour, and the room number and everything that needs to happen in that hour. I have a separate column for everything that needs to be documented. I put boxes next to all tasks and another next to those that require documentation. This really helps me to see what's going on, where I am for the day, and how to manage my time.

Stuff to review: anything and everything breastfeeding, corificeat safety (and laws in your state), normal labs for postpartum mom, normal VS for newborn, where the fundus should be when... There will be more.

Another thing that really helped me was making a copy for myself of some of the protocols, FLACC score, glucose protocol, everything needed for a new admit (vag vs. c/s), causes of Coombs +, etc. I created a whole document for myself that I could keep adding to and reprinting (at home!) to carry around. This came in SO handy!! :)

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