NicuNightRN

NicuNightRN

NICU

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All Content by NicuNightRN

  1. two questions: need your opinions for newbee

    NicuNightRN replied to ainsjas's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I think my biggest challenge was self-doubt. Being on my own taking care of patients for the first time was very nerve-wracking. I have always had a lot of self-doubt, and talked this through with...

  2. Spring '05 grads-1 year in-how many new nurses you started w/ are still there?

    NicuNightRN replied to HappyNurse2005's topic in First Year After Licensure

    May '05 grad here! 3 new grads started on my unit with me, and all 3 of us are still there. I have no plans to leave my unit in the near future, but I would like to go to grad school sometime in the...

  3. NICU New Grads!

    NicuNightRN replied to RainDreamer's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I also graduated in May '05. I still consider myself a new grad, but my unit hired several other new grads in January, so it's weird to realize that at work, when they say "new grad" they are talking...

  4. Ok, lets flip this coin!

    NicuNightRN replied to twinmommy+2's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Twinmommy+1, I was just looking through some of the recent threads, and thinking that we need a more positive feel around here...thank you for starting this thread before I could! I've been an RN for...

  5. Neonatologists vs. Neonatal Nurses

    NicuNightRN replied to iluvhorses's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I agree...you need to decide whether you want to be an RN or MD...and what kind of patient interaction you want. Nurses do everything for the babies. We are at the baby's bedside literally 24/7...

  6. NICU Rooming In before discharge

    NicuNightRN replied to angellady24's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We do not require rooming-in for all babies, but many parents request it. If the baby is going home on O2, it is required. It is written as an MD order and they must write with or without monitors....

  7. Best way to get to NICU

    NicuNightRN replied to Hooligan's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I was hired as a new grad. It is very competitive, and not easy...but if you know it's what you want to do, it is well worth the effort! My only medical experience was through clinicals and school...

  8. Best way to get to NICU

    NicuNightRN replied to Hooligan's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Go straight to NICU! That's what I did (started last June). I had a residency program (still in it, actually for classes once a month) that has taught me all the fundamentals of nursing and NICU...

  9. Spinoff, NICU levels - does the definition need changing?

    NicuNightRN replied to LilPeanut's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I work in a level 3, the regional neonatal referral center for our area. We do some surgeries (mainly PDAs, eyes, emergency surgeries), but most surgeries (cardiac kids, NEC, etc) go to Children's,...

  10. looking for bath protocols

    NicuNightRN replied to jnsatc's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I love bathing the kiddos, too, as do many of my fellow nightshifters...A few months back I was taking care of a set of twins, both of whom really needed baths, but I had a busy night and could only...

  11. looking for bath protocols

    NicuNightRN replied to jnsatc's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We don't really have a protocol on bathing. A lot of the really little babies don't get a good bath until they are stable, which could be a week or more. We keep track of the baths on our kardex,...

  12. Primary nursing in the NICU

    NicuNightRN replied to KyElaine's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We do primary nursing, which is great for the nurses who sign up for a primary...but it's a pain for nurses who don't or can't take a primary. I have a primary now, but before, I would end up filling...

  13. Freezing breastmilk

    NicuNightRN replied to twallingrn's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We also freeze for practicality. While some moms have a hard time keeping up, most produce more than the baby needs, since they all start off NPO. Because freezing breaks down some of the components...

  14. do people say this to you?

    NicuNightRN replied to ftr_bb_catchr's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    One of my close friends from nursing school works on a leukemia unit. Neither one of us thinks we could do what the other one does, but we're grateful the other one is able to do it! I think the...

  15. Help! Help! NICU nurses need feedback

    NicuNightRN replied to thankful's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We use it frequently, too, mainly for IV starts and lab draws (as long as they are not NPO). I generally just dip the pacifier into the tub, unless the baby is harder to console, in which case I draw...

  16. do people say this to you?

    NicuNightRN replied to ftr_bb_catchr's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I have had people say those sorts of things to me frequently. They are generally saying it because they think that working in the NICU is sad, and that we only take care of babies who are going to...

  17. Anyone else hating morning shift?

    NicuNightRN replied to Rudegal2020's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I'm all about the night shift! I am NOT a morning person, and tend to stay up very late, so when I was orienting on day shift last year, I was going to bed only a few hours before I needed to get up....

  18. TPN Tubing Change

    NicuNightRN replied to donnuchi's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Our NICU does the same thing,

  19. Success Stories?? Any Positive experiences?

    NicuNightRN replied to sumdae's topic in First Year After Licensure

    It does seem like we are all freaked out if you just look quickly through this forum. Certainly some days are worse than others. Although I complain about work, I love my job. The first time I...

  20. Actual GPA! (TWU or others)

    NicuNightRN replied to Babynurse83's topic in Texas Nursing

    I started at TWU-Houston in Fall 2003 (graduated last May!!!!) and I think they accepted 60 people to the program. The number they can accept is based on the faculty available for lectures and...

  21. TWU-Houston!!!

    NicuNightRN replied to futurenurse85's topic in Texas Nursing

    Congratulations!! I graduationed from TWU-Houston last May...some days I still can't believe I am out of nursing school and a real RN!!! The new building looks huge...I haven't seen it since I...

  22. Float policy?

    NicuNightRN replied to natsfanrn's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I think that new grads in my unit get 1 year (not sure if that's time at the hospital or time off orientation) before we float. But being a NICU, we would only float to the other NICU in the network,...

  23. Undigested -vs- Partially Digested Residuals

    NicuNightRN replied to Love_2_Learn's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Yeah, putting the baby prone seems to usually do the trick! If the feed is still there after 20-30 minutes, or looks ugly, I'll notify the doc or NNP. We call for a residual > or = to 50% of the...

  24. Starting March 13th

    NicuNightRN replied to bluepenguin's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    First, congratulations on getting into the NICU! It's a wonderful place to work! I also did my senior preceptorship in a NICU. Even though it was not the one in which I currently work, it made a...

  25. To study group of not to study group...

    NicuNightRN replied to Student_RN's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I used study groups occasionally, but I was very picky about who I could and couldn't study with. I found that I learned best by writing things down over and over again. I'd first recopy my notes by...