SheaTabRN

Hello all! I just did a 13 week orientation in the NICU and found that it was (sadly) not a match for me. Not the actual NICU or the constant stress. Better to admit it now than wait I think. I am thinking that I might apply in the infant/to...

Thanks Barbara! Tab

Hey Guy's... I said they wouldn't pick up RR and wouldn't you know it that they do!?!?! I went in to work that evening and took care of a ELBW baby who had them on... I looked up at the monitor (HP) and was shocked. I'm sorry for the error... I just ...

All the above stated reasons would make a huge impact on the state of the "nursing shortage." However, as a new grad, my most pressing complaint is the way I'm treated by "seasoned" nurses. Since graduating, I can not even begin to tell you how many ...

How ever do you come up with this stuff?!?!?! We don't use this, but I wish we would. I will show this around. Thanks for keeping us abreast Kristi! Tab

This might be a dumb question... but would tegaderm work just as well??? Tab

Wow... Duoderm used under sat probes! I haven't even seen this on our unit. Isn't it rather thick?? Does the monitor pick up through it even though it's not really transparent?? We use a lot of tegaderm.. well some people do. However so much is left ...

We only use those for the ELBW babies... and I honestly can't say that we do so consistantly enough to tell you where they go!(Assumming... white on right... yada yada) I just know I was told to set up a bed for an ELBW and the bed check-off sheet ca...

I'm in a 12-16 week orientation... :)

Have you guy's heard of giving a "quadrant replacement" with a newly admitted gastroschisis. There is very little info on the net about this and even most all of my fellow nurses really didn't know what it was all about. I know that the baby is prone...

For anyone who is interested.... I asked one of our docs last night about this... since it was my first night back! He said that no one really does it anymore and that it was a ARNP who did. The quadrant replacement (in an article, I believe he said...

I was charting an assessment following a nurse from a previous shift... I noticed that she had charted on the character, color, etc. of this patient's urine. Problem is....Several days before this patient had a... Bilateral Nephrectomy. Hmmmmm... Thi...

As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with PilotJim in many ways. I guess I would have found a nicer way to say it. I used to be a smoker and have been a non-smoker for about three months. There are several things that made it an absolute necessity ...

AcuteObRn... I think you are referring to placing the bowel inside a Silo. This is a silastic material that protects the bowel while allowing time for the abdominal wall to stretch so that it can accomodate the intestines. I was referring to the addi...

Wow.... so sad. I could totally relate to so much of what Tara was experiencing as I am a new NICU nurse. Especially the "bad dream" part! Does anyone else "work in their sleep?" The other day I got hot while sleeping and was going to throw off the c...

A lot of us lift the covers during the day and pull the sides down a night. :)

Oh Lord..... I'm sitting here wondering if I would ever get anything done if I was changing feeds that often!!! Wow.... that is some interesting information that is totally contrary to what we are doing as a NICU. Let us know what info you get from ...

I spoke with my management about recycling and their concern was "the attraction of pests." We live in Florida and bugs are often a problem. Let me say that I have NEVER seen an insect in my NICU! They said that even if you rinse the glass bottles th...

What do you guys use for a sterile cath urine specimen/or indwelling? We use feeding tubes... 5F, and for me, it seems difficult to keep it sterile while transferring from the long and thin packaging to the baby. Probably will get better with time. ...

So what if the cathater is to be left indwelling??? How does that wonderful product work in that case??? It looks fabulous for in/out sampling... can it be used for indwelling? Thanks in Advance! Tabitha

>> How much money did your dept make that you are aware of with your recycling? Where did this money come from? Anyone with more information... please share. Thanks! Tab

Thanks so much!!! :) I'm not sure I've developed the 4th and 5th hand necessary to be a NICU nurse yet... still trying!!! Tab

>>> How high??? I'm new in the NICU and often see the Alk Phos levels get really high on labs. I must confess that I pass it on and no one really seems all that excited about it. So, how high is too high?? Also, in what form do you give vit...

4 hours here... :)

>> I had to take a couple more science classes when preparing for my BSN that were not required for my ADN. However, there were still a lot of science requirements initially. StacyC417, I am going to tell you a little factoid about myself.... ...