Lab support/blood glucose?

Specialties NICU

Published

HI all, it's me again. My question is: Do you RN's in level 3's draw all the labs, or do you have full lab support to draw the babies?

I ask, because, I worked in one where we did it all, and one where we had lab techs do alll the draws, except the blood sugars.

Which leads me to my next question: How often do you guys do blood sugars? One place I worked did them with EVERY CARE/FEEDING, and the other, only when it was indicated. I think every feed/care is overdoing it.

Look forward to your responses......:)

Specializes in NICU.

We draw all our own labs. We only do blood glucoses when indicated.

Specializes in NICU.

Oh my gosh! Sugars with EVERY FEEDING?!?!?! What did those kids' heels look like?

The only kids we'll do frequent (like q1-4h) sugars on are those who are known to have glucose issues (IDDM, on insulin drip, etc.). Others just get them daily if they're on IV fluids. If kids are on decadron we'll do q12h. Babies on full enteral feeds will rarely get sugars checked unless there is some indication there'd be a problem (again, IDDM, steroids, etc.).

Nurses do all lab draws. The only other staff allowed to stick our babies are the docs and nurse practitioners.

The lab or our techs can draw on babies over 1000 grams

Under 1000 grams and art sticks the RN does

Blood sugars once a shift if baby is on IVF's or 2 hours after a change in dextrose in the IVF's.

Oh my gosh! Sugars with EVERY FEEDING?!?!?! What did those kids' heels look like?

The only kids we'll do frequent (like q1-4h) sugars on are those who are known to have glucose issues (IDDM, on insulin drip, etc.). Others just get them daily if they're on IV fluids. If kids are on decadron we'll do q12h. Babies on full enteral feeds will rarely get sugars checked unless there is some indication there'd be a problem (again, IDDM, steroids, etc.).

Nurses do all lab draws. The only other staff allowed to stick our babies are the docs and nurse practitioners.

I know, huh? the heels were horrendous...... we did them REGARDLESS of what the previous number was, what they were on, etc. EVEN FEEDER GROWERS ready to go home. And they reinforced this, too.. we had a couple nurses just skip some, because it wasnt warranted, and they were FIRED. This place was a PIT, it had other issues as well. Up until 2001, I was told, the nurses still wore full isolation garb there......talk about being in the dark ages......:angryfire

Nurses in our unit draw all labs (ABG, lytes, gluc. nutr. profile, CBC, CRP, blood cx etc.) if the baby has a UAC or art line. If not and the baby needs an ABG or septic workup or any blood sample that requires an unusual amount of blood, then the NNP or residents draw those with an art. stick. Any other lab is drawn by lab techs via heel stick. The exception would be on admission when the admitting nurse will draw a glucose and crp with a heel stick.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

We do all the labs unless there is a need for an art stick. We used to make the residents do them, but those poor kids were suffering more than needed. RT draws our labs if we need them at the same time as an ABG so we don't have to access the line more than necessary.

As for BG, we do ours upon admission, at 2 and 4 hours of life, unless there is a problem, and only with IVF changes (one to two hours after). We don't routinely do them anymore.

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