Bedside Cards

Specialties NICU

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Hi all. I am looking to design new bedside cards for our NICU. Actually we aren't using them at all right now but we just had 23 new grads start and think that we need them. So I am wondering if your unit uses them, why or why not, and what is on them? I know weight (dry or birthweight?), ETT size, where it's taped at, where to suction to, what eles are on your cards? In another unit I worked on, I know we had them at everyone's beside but I can't t remember what was on them that was relevant to non tubed kids. I am going to try and get copies from on of the previous unit I have worked on but I would love to here what other units are doing. I work in a 50 Bed High acuity Level 3 + ECMO unit. Thanks!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

Do mean Kardex? Ours is very simple...on the top it has name, gest age, admission diagnosis, time/date of birth and admission, band number, security band number, parent's names. Then below that is a spreadsheet with each column labeled with Corrected age, respiratory, cardiac, GI/FEN/GU, neuro and two columns for other. We put, for example, HUS under neuro with the results, NEC under GI, Survanta x3 under resp. Usually up until they are about 35 weeks, there is something going on. It makes it easy to track things.

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No not a Kardex. At the last 2 hospitals I worked at we had a small card taped to each baby's isolette or crib. In case of accidental extubation or code etc it had the baby's weight, ETT size, where it should be taped at, what depth we should be suctioning too etc. I can't remember it all so I was wondering what other units we using that they found helpful. We have a ton of new grads right now and our acuity is through the roof (more then half our kids are intubated) so I thought they would be nice to have.

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Specializes in NICU.

We are limiting more and more what we can display at the bedside because of HIPAA regulations. Right now, all we have is a sign with the baby's first and last name plus the birthdate. There was talk even about getting rid of the last names on these signs but it was decided it was too risky and that we needed that extra identification. We also have a little sheet taped to the bedside with the size, placement, and suctioning depth for ETTs. Everything else is on the flowsheet or computer-printed patient care summary, both of which are on a clipboard right next to the baby's bedside. In an emergency, all we need to do is grab this clipboard and the baby's weight, gestational age, parents names and phone numbers, etc. are right there.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

Gotcha...we have a program on our computers at work where we just punch in baby's weight and all the emergency meds and drips come up. We have our ET size and depth of suction on our flowsheets. We update the med sheets every week and keep it all in a three ring binder at the bedside.

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Specializes in NICU- now learning OR!.
Gotcha...we have a program on our computers at work where we just punch in baby's weight and all the emergency meds and drips come up. We have our ET size and depth of suction on our flowsheets. We update the med sheets every week and keep it all in a three ring binder at the bedside.

That program sounds great for the emergency meds. Right now we have the meds on a seperate "code sheet" on every chart and the RN is responsible for keeping it up to date and calculating the doses of meds.

There has been talk that something pre-printed would be (SAFER!) and easier on the RNs.

Could you share more info on the program? Is it a stand alone program or part of some other program?

Thanks!

Jenny

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Specializes in NICU.

We have a little card taped to the bed with date of intubation, size and depth of ETT and placement for suctioning. Our RT's do this. We add UAC and UVC info, too. It's a 3 x 5 card, small print and a darker color, not easy to read from a distance!

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We also post a card at the bedside for the PICC stating Psize, date placed, how many cm's it is supposed to be out...it is updated if someone does a dsg change and notes it out further, and has it evaluated by xray and confirm correct placement. It is nic t have it and glancr over at it during a drsg change.

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Specializes in NICU.

Ours have tube info and emergency meds as calculated on admission. Obviously those change as the baby does, so we do a neostat calc sheet on the sicker babies and print it out. Our computer charting system is sloooooow and we can't take the time to sign in and do the calc during a code.

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if you're worried about confidentiality with patient details being stuck to the crib, could you not just stick then facing in?

that way, they're still right there when you need them, but for someone to gain unauthorised info, they would have to intentionally go to the crib, instick it and read.

i don't really see why the depth of suctioning or ett measurement would need to be confidential. parent's names and numbers? yes. family history? yes. ett size? well everyone would know from looking at the baby that they have an ett, so it's not like it's a big secret..

i don't understand your HIPPA, it seems so much more severe than the confidentiality agreements i sign here in oz.

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