NICU_babyRN

The Bunnell website (they make the jet) has GREAT teaching articles, EBP articles and in-depth explanation on how the Jet vent works. I MAKE my orientees read it. We use the jet quite a bit specially with our tiny babies with air leak problems (PIE). I highly recommend a google search on "High Frequency Jet" . You'll find what you need and more.

In our unit we do have ECMO RNs also. NNPs, Educators, Managers, Charge RNs, a discharge coordinator...

Hmmm any reputable hospital should have one in place already.

just like the other posters, we infuse via 24 too! UVC if available and not in use by other IVF and UAC is last resort. We only infuse via PICC if the picc is dedicated for Blood products and we prefer to do it with larger PICCS like 3fr.

We have found that it's really great when the general care nursery starts lab work and xrays specially if the NICU has to make space for a GCN baby. Overall we seem to have a pretty good relationship. What makes it tough is that the GCN wants temps >36.6 and NICU is ok with >36.0 so when it's a 36wkr with temp problems we seem to have some commnication problems. Overall though, we try to work together as much as possible. We do sometimes feel like the RNs in the nursery bathe infants a little too soon. Specially the smaller term infants and then they end up cold or not eating well thus NICU admission. When we look, we find out the babe isn't even two hours old but hasn't been given a chance to transition well! Some of our older nurses are just plain mean but I would say most of us are happy to help the GCN nurses.

"Abcde" pronounce Ab-C-D from a teen couple. La-a Love "LaDASHa Love" literally spelled with the dash! Knowledge to the World King and lately LOTS of Nevaeh "heaven" spelled backwards.... It's just plain sad out there!!

That's actually common name in some countries!

Oh sooooo many things I could say! *If you're so f'n smart why DON'T you go to med school?* to the nurse who truly does feel she is so much smarter than alllll the docs in the world. *Sure, take a little bit longer of a break or another break right now. Clearly your 90 minute break this morning was NOT sufficient, you still look quite tired" *I really do love you girls, I do work with some amazing nurses, and for that, we are all very lucky. Now if we could just get rid of x, y and z!

I would strongly suggest some counseling so you can talk to a unbiased, neutral person about how you feel in general and how you feel others perceive you. I LOVED my therapy sessions when I had them-it's like having an amazing friend who by LAW can't say anything to anyone unless you are a clear danger to yourself or another person! It's really great to have that one hour/week (or more) where you can just SPILL all the pent up frustrations and they give you great feedback on how to cope with it all! It's hard to be a great nurse especially in a setting where others slack off continuously. I find this to be specially challenging when I keep a nursing student or orientee busy at all times so she/he does not have time to even TRY to socialize. They are there to learn! The best you can do is continue providing excellent nursing care but I wouldn't worry about telling management about things you see unless a pt is truly hurting from it (like bleeding out of sheeth insertion site). It seems, in this case, counter productive.

We don't let GPs do skin-to-skin unless there's reason for it. This is a moment for parents! With that being said, there have been cases where GPs are asked by parents to do it so we let them. It's rare!

We do heel sticks for 95% of our labs, then venous. We only do art sticks at time of admission since we need a bit of blood at that time and that's if no lines are being inserted. art sticks are a last resort for us!

I went to Iowa for nursing school and I LOVED IT. And getting into the Iowa College of Nursing is NOT easy so pat yourself on the back! (Name edited) will be AMAZING to work with, I still keep in contact with her! I got a FANTASTIC job after graduating. It is always good to look at Grad rankings as a basis for undergrad. Remember some of those grad students in the #12 ranked college will be your TAs! Feel free to send me a private message with any questions. You will truly love it there! The program is TOOOUGH but you will come out ready to pass your boards and ready for a great job! Also, keep in mind that there will only be about 75-80 students in your graduating class. The profs are really awesome and UI Hospitals and Clinics is TOP NOTCH!

1) We encourage NNS as early as 30wks specially if only on Nasal Canula or room air. We encourage all moms and dads to do skin-to-skin care even when intubated as long as there is no UAC. We also provide infants with colostrum swabs as soon as we can get our hands on it although I think many nurses don't know the value of it and are resistant to the idea. I think it's just lazy! 2) We have 7 LCs that I can count right now but I know i'm forgetting at least 3-4. They are NICU dedicated but help out in Post Partum. PP has their own team too, I think another 3 LCs. 3) Probably about 85-95% of our babes get mom's milk and a few select kids have donor milk but the parents would have to pay for it. We encourage moms to pump at the bedside as much as possible. 4) I work in a level III 56bed unit in the midwest and we are soon expanding to 72 beds!

I'm not sure what the name of the program is but it comes up on interenet explorer and we add in the wt, name, DOB and update it every week. The print out is on bright orange paper and in the back of the chart, always easy to find.

Agree....but still, don't think I myself wouldn't try it!