POC Testing in the NICU

[brysmit]

I'm trying to determine what is common practice for POC testing in the NICU. Specifically in relation to testing that is not automated (i.e. Urine dips, hemacults, etc.)

Does your site allow nurses to perform them on the unit or do you have to send them to the lab? If you do run them on the unit, is it a nursing order or a lab order that is placed in the HIS? How do you record the lab results, directly into your HIS or via your LIS? Also are your QC logs documented on the HIS, LIS, or on paper?

I appreciate your responses and thank you for your time.

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

Everything gets sent to the lab except for glucoses. All are doc ordered. The results are available in the computer as soon as lab puts them in and when the glucometer is downloaded.

[karnicurnc, MSN, APRN, CNS]

We also send all tests to the lab except glucoses and blood gases. Results are immediate and then in the computer after download.

[Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN]

We do all POCs on our unit -- hemoccult, gastroccult, urine dips. Per standard orders, every stool is tested. Urine dips are less frequent, usually only when an MD specifically requests it. Gastric output is checked for pH when a new OG/NGT is placed, and a gastroccult is done at the same time. I generally do a gastroccult at least once a shift, too, as long as an OG/NG is available. We enter results and QC into our computerized charting system.

[brysmit]

Coffee Nurse, What computer charting system do you guys use?

[Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN]

We use Essentris.

[Mimi2RN, ASN, RN]

We used to do our own hemocults, but now we can't because we can't do a QC on them so we have to send them to lab. We were told it was a JHACO thing. Therefore a test that would have had a result in less than 5 minutes takes at least an hour. Makes sense to me!

[EmilyPeruana]

we do our own hemoccults. we enter results into charting.

we can't do urine dips anymore for whatever reason. we have to send the urine to the lab. they put results into the computer system.

we do our own glucoses and upload results to from the glucometer q24h into a dock which puts it all into the computer. we qc it q24h but dont chart who did the qc'ing. our unit is divided into "pods" and there is a "pod leader" each day who is assigned to "qc" it.

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

We do glucoses, gasses, and the electrolytes and labs the gas machines can run (hct, lactate, most lytes)