NICU help please!!!!

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Specializes in Telemetry, NICU.

Good morning everyone!!!!

I have just started my NICU career in a Level III, 30 bed unit :D I am beyond excited and eager to learn everything...I have spent 2 very long years in adult telemetry and finally feel like I'm home!! My questions to all of those who are experienced nurses...

1. Where would I find a list of diagnoses for the NICU (common and uncommon)? I am making note cards to carry in my pocket so I can have an immediate reference. I have come up with some from googling and am making out the cards to include diagnosis, symptoms, treatments, interventions needed, and how to explain it in terms so the parents understand. We are a teaching hospital so many times the docs come in, gave the diagnosis, give options, get consent, and leave. The parents look to us for support and clarification. We have an education program, but I want something to explain to them in terms they can understand at the bedside.

2. Does anybody have any good shift hand off report sheets? We just use index cards right now and I don't like it.

This neonate world is a completely different ball game and I know I won't feel comfortable for a long time, but any knowledge that can be shared would be great!!!!

Thanks!

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU.

Hello. I have 11 years as a NICU nurse and recently graduated as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. NICU is a very rewarding career. I love my babies. you need to get the Gomella as we call it. That is actually the author. The book is Neonatolgy by Tricia Gomella. Also the Neonatology: Management, Procedures, On-Call Problems, Diseases, & Drugs. A Lange clinical manual. Also by Gomella.

Hope this helps. A few things that I found are if you know the normal , you will know what isn't right. KNowing your drugs and how they are ordered helps too.

Good Luck!!!

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU.

Just keep in mind that NICU babies are not "small adults". Take every opportunity to learn!

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Specializes in 5years OR; NICU since Oct 2011.

HI! I have recently started in the NICU also. I found a report sheet on here a while ago and printed it off so that when I started working NICU i could use it. I found that once I started on the unit they also had a report sheet... I have found I don't like either, so I made my own up. If you PM me your e-mail, I can e-mail you both the one I made and the one I found on here. Hope this helps... also any other tips you have found that you would like to share, I'm all ears :)

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Specializes in ER, Public Health, Community, PMHNP.

As the mom of a 25 weeker and nursing school graduate i can tell you that NICU is a whole new world, so forget everything you know about adult care cause it really does not apply to these little fighters

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HI! I have recently started in the NICU also. I found a report sheet on here a while ago and printed it off so that when I started working NICU i could use it. I found that once I started on the unit they also had a report sheet... I have found I don't like either, so I made my own up. If you PM me your e-mail, I can e-mail you both the one I made and the one I found on here. Hope this helps... also any other tips you have found that you would like to share, I'm all ears :)

I am starting my preceptorship in the NICU at Phoenix Children's Hospital on Monday. I was trying to put together all my brain sheets from all the different areas I worked in during RN school and I just don't feel that a brain sheet based on adults is appropriate. I just joined so I don't have the ability to PM. If you could email me your brain sheets so I can be as prepared as possible I would greatly appreciate it! Please email @ [[email protected]]

Thank you!

Billie:redpinkhe

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Specializes in NICU.

Most units have parent teaching sheets. If yours does not this would be a great project for you so parents would have something to refer back to as they are usually so overwhelmed they are not going to remember half of what you told them anyway.

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

I've found the Cook Childrens Hospital website to be an excellent resource for NICU.

https://www.cookchildrens.org/SpecialtyServices/NICU/NICUResources/Pages/default.aspx

The first article listed on that page is "For Parents - Common Diagnoses in the NICU". It's written, as you can see, for parents. Which means it'll be written in a way that is clear, concise and easy to understand for a new nurse in the NICU.

They have many, many great bits of information on that site.

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Hello I just started in the NICU and I was reading your post, I'm having some difficulty with the hand off sheet and finding a system that works for me, would you mind if I saw the hand off sheet that you used? Thank you!

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I just started in the NICU this week and Im having a similar problem - do you have a handoff sheet that I could use? I just joined too so I dont have access to pm, but my email is [email protected]

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I am a new graduate nurse,

starting job at NICU from next week. If you still have the report sheet, Could you please provide me . My email adress is [email protected]. Thank you in advance.

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Specializes in NICU.

I would check with mgmt about the report sheet ,officially the SBAR must have the hospital Logo and be approved by such,( they are not part of the chart and end up in the shredder )...I hated the one we had it was so irrelevant but we had to use it anyway.Remember not to leave any around that anyone can read.

The Gomella book recommended in the other post is very good to have handy but again what is your units official book?

You should also be reading the core curriculum.

Neofax should be on the unit or installed in the unit computer.

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