NICU Brain ideas

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Hi all,

I am a senior student and will be doing by IP placement in the NICU. I was wondering if any other NICU nursing students or current/past NICU nurses could share their brains with me. I tried researching some myself but found a lot online are very overwhelming and busy. I really appreciate any and all help!

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I'd wait until you get there. Most NICUs have their own brains and/or systems for giving report. If anything, I'd write your preceptor to see if they can email you a copy in advance (or maybe take a photo and text it to you). That way you can familiarize yourself with it before you get started.

Honestly, any NICU brain you encounter (including the one at your unit) will probably seem overwhelming and busy at first--there's a ton of NICU lingo that you'll never have learned in nursing school, and there are a lot of concepts you wouldn't even think to ask about in the adult world. Report can be pretty overwhelming when you're first starting out, but it will quickly become second nature once you become familiar with the concepts.

If I sent you the brains from my prior NICUs, they'd probably look exactly as complicated and foreign as the ones you've found online.

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Thank you adventure_rn! That really is helpful knowing that they all seem chaotic until you get there. Also, thank you for the heads up that there will be a lot of new lingo in the NICU. I guess for now I will enjoy my summer break and just keep reading on some pathophys in a neonate and prep myself best I can! Thanks again!

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Id be happy to send you the brain I made! I've switched to just jotting stuff down, but I may go back to this after looking at it again. Actually pretty impressed with myself LOL

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nursebreeeee That would be great! Thank you. I think you can upload to this forum!

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Specializes in NICU/Mother-Baby/Peds/Mgmt.

Is a brain a worksheet? Honestly, all I've ever done is write the hours down (vertically) a piece of paper and write "VS" at the hours due, feedings etc. Just update prn. I'll leave more space if I think VS frequency will be increased. At the bottom I'll write what the IVF is, feeding (BM, FBM and cal, formula type), etc. I've seen people make specific spots for this info but it's just easier for me to write it at the bottom. As I do things I cross them off.

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Specializes in NICU.

I have an old brain sheet from AN from 2013, but it doesn't work with Excel 2019.

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