littleneoRN

Curious about people's opinions of and experience with transports that do vs. do not include providers (NNP or physician). Our unit has a high transport volume, and all our transports are staffed with an NNP. I know that some of the transport skill...

Hi all! I'm wondering if anyone can give me perspective on the two RNC exams--Low Risk Neonatal and Neonatal Intensive Care. I currently work in the Level II part of a large children's facility. We are a referral center with full surgical services...

One of the unique things about NICU is that in the start, we truly know more about someone's child than they do. That and the fact that we can pretty carefully control this tiny little human and their environment tend to make us fairly anal and cont...

I don't understand why anyone would be putting more milk in the feeding bag or syringe than the patient is due to be fed at that specific feeding. Take 135 mL out of the refrigerated supply and leave the rest refrigerated until the next feeding. Ne...

When in the process you clamp (before or after removing flush syringe) depends on the brand of cap. Some are positive pressure caps and require a different process than the other ones, which I think can be neutral or negative. I do now know the ins...

What kind of place only offers a 30 minute break in a 12 hour shift? We get 1 hour and 15 minutes worth of breaks in that time period.

It seems unlikely that when floating to post-partum you would have a baby-only assignment. Most places do couplet care, so if you've got the baby, you've got the mom. I thought separate baby and mom nurses (after delivery of course) had gone by the...

I called a nurse manager...not for the unit I really really wanted, but one I thought I would like and thought would be hiring. Turns out they weren't hiring, but she was impressed (with who knows what) over the phone, so she got me an inside contac...

One thing I have learned over time is that with *most* deaths in the NICU, we have given everything and the kitchen sink to help this baby have a chance. By the time the baby passes, their chance of a positive outcome is extraordinarily low. This d...

I'm not going to judge what's done in other settings, but I have never seen or heard suggested in my unit to "borrow" a med for another patient. I would go as far to say though, that if I were inclined to do this in another setting, I would draw the...

NPs have an ESSENTIAL role in my unit. They don't have as much autonomy as other settings, but we would not be able to function without them. They round on stable patients. They place lines, intubate, do LPs, etc. They manage patients on transpor...

2 hours worth of breaks??? How long is your whole shift?

I work in a union facility, and while the union (like anything) has it's downfalls, I thank my lucky stars. Some days when I read things on AN, I hope that people are exaggerating. Sure we are being asked to do more with less, and I don't have any ...

[quote=NurseKellyH;5535339 *Edit* If you'd really like to look things up to know more about them, write them down somewhere to reference later when you aren't at work/clinical or perhaps even on break and out of sight of people who don't want to see ...

Also, babies are more sensitive to fast infusion rates. We give a lot of meds over 15 to 30 minutes that you would push on adults. Lasix, morphine, etc. Not sure what other places do. We run these on a syring pump. We don't hand flush anything a...

Our pressors run in bags, but they runto a trifuse right at the bottom by the baby. I've never piggy backed anything. I'm not sure how one would piggy back antibiotics on a large volume pump unless it cam in a bag too. Might small bag of Ampicilli...

PS...8 mL of tubing length is probably 2-3 hours worth of fluid for that size baby, so it will take a long time for the med to actually reach the baby.

Syringe pumps are necessary equipment for any hospital caring for a 750 gram baby. I know it's not your choice, but a hospital that won't invest in a few syringe pumps doesn't have business caring for micropreemies.

I work NICU, so the specifics are different. But I echo the idea of knowing how each drug specifically works. And then considering what you're treating. You're not just treating low BP. You're treating inappropriate vasodilation or poor CO or low...

We have a video library with videos on breastfeeding, pumping, etc. This could certainly go on the shelf as an option for them to check out.

It seems excessive to me too, but that's what "they" say the research "says." Our nurses raised lots of feedback about the potential for infection, but the policy stands... Anyway, even before 7 days, it seems like the benefits of being held outwei...

To each their own...I know some people really do love their 12s. However, my friends who work 12s all say they love them, but they also always seem so exhausted. They say the love the extra day or two off. (I work 4 days one week and 5 the other....

A one-time dose of Ativan would definitely not prevent the need for helping a child stay still. Sugar water on a pacifier and a good swaddle would be much much more effective on an infant. In addition, an oral benzo should require monitoring for se...

I'm not worried about wrongdoing because I am careful to follow policy and good judgment at all times. Consider this though. I work in NICU and we have cameras available for moms to be able to see their babies from their rooms if they're aren't wel...