urine multistix charting

[shelbabyrn]

Do your neonatologists/nurse practitioners look at and/or use the results of urine multistix and do you have a standing policy as to how often they are done? Please provide your place of employment and type of unit .

[NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN]

I work in a Level II/III nursery (adjacent). We do not routinely do urine dips on the Level II babies. In Level III, this is done and interpreted by the nurses, not the NP's or Neo's. If the results are unusual, they will be reported to the on-call team (we are a teaching facility) for further action. We do not have an actual policy as far as I am aware, but they are "supposed" to be done routinely on all of our Level III babies at least once a day, more if appropriate (based on previous abnormal results) or ordered.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

We very rarely do them. And we send pee to the lab for them to do it...that way they can charge for it! They only time we do it is if a kid has kidney problems.

[shelbabyrn]

Thanks Kristi and NicuGal. Your info will be helpful.

[nurseiam]

We stopped doing them about a year ago. Nobody was looking at them! I work in a level II/III.

[shelbabyrn]

Yeah, nobody looks at them where I work either but it is our policy to do them every shift if on IV fluids. No one ever does them and then they get "points" off on their chart audits. I am trying to show they are not necessary and have the policy changed. Thanks for your input.