winterblue

Preparing a family for discharge on mom/baby unit, I told the patient I was going to remove her baby's infant security tag. She said, "Before you do that, can you please take a picture of my baby's monitor with my husband's monitor?" I looked at her quizzically. She smiled, looking over at her husband who pulled up his pant leg to reveal an GPS ankle tag.

Where I have worked (level 2 nsy) kiddos 36wks and up roomed in with parents, but required AC glucoses, vitals q3hrs, be fed q3hrs, and be supplemented with either formula or donor breast milk. They stayed a minimum of 48 hrs.

When introducing patients to the lovely disposable mesh panties during pericare on postpartum: "These are Victoria's Other Secret."

Thanks for this! I admit I was annoyed by our policy at first but now it really does make sense, esp since it DOES get overused. It's not that difficult to get it from pyxis when needed for certain procedures, and we can lock it in bedside cart. My petpeeve is finding out previous shift has been using sweetease drops on mom's nipples to help baby latch

Our unit now considers sweetease a drug; therefore we must scan it into emar whenever we use it for procedures, along with measuring exactly how much we give and can only give it so many times per procedure. Anyone else do this?

Any advice on dealing with a dad who comes into the NICU reeking of cigarette smoke and BO to sit next to his kid? Its enough to make us gag and the other moms don't appreciate it (neither do the babies, I'm sure). I've used deodorizing spray. I take it I have no right to politely ask him to take a shower and wash his clothes..?

"Are you gonna start the Potassium now?" It's pitocin! No, you don't want a potassium drip right now... :)

"Even with Effexor, which is probably the worst (withdrawal) of the bunch." ITA with you on this. Speaking of this sort of withdrawal, are there many RNs/Docs who are now aware of it? (officially known as Discontinuation Syndrome). I find that too many HPs have no idea it exists, and its becoming more common. Any thoughts? (Or should I start a new thread for this topic?)

I can relate to the intense itching, it feels like its really deep inside. Doc said it was due to allergies. I too thought I had no wax in either ears, until I tried "ear candles" that you can buy at any health food market. Whoo! The stuff that comes out of your ear canals with those things!

SBE, I love your idea of voice-activated charting. The docs get to dictate their notes, why shouldn't we?! I hope one day someone can invent: Cordless EFMs that stick to the belly (telemetry but without the darn belts) and indicator stickers placed on the belly that change colors as the cervix dilates (think of those thermo-stickers used intraop)....guess our jobs would be too easy if they existed...

Recently attended a legal nursing seminar. Was taught to always use names. Also, it is appropriate to use personal pronouns in charting when describing your own actions, I didn't know that before. BTW, the stories told in that seminar were a bit scary! Physicians who had tried to go back days later and make a late entry; proven after the note was analyzed by a handwriting specialist.

A pt's husband once asked me upon introducing myself: "Can we get a nurse that's not twelve?"

I too was told a version of this story in OB orientation. Some nurses were talking about dystocias and I happened to ask, What's the worst thing that can happen in a delivery such as that, besides a broken clavicle? The nurse replied, "If the shoulders get stuck long enough and the baby's hearttones are lost and there is no hope, and no one can maneuver the head back in the lady parts, the only thing that can be done is remove the head and then remove the rest of the baby's body by C-section." I was horrified. Just wanted you to know I heard it too! -L

I love making pts laugh. Whether its by accident (falling off the stool when I'm trying to say something profound) or cracking jokes (during pericare after delivery, I tell new moms the unattractive mesh panties are Victoria's Other Secret). Most find this one strange, but I do like taking care of parents who are expecting fetal demise and are being induced, because I've learned I'm pretty good at the emotional nursing aspect.

I used to work at a facility that highly discouraged pushing with a rim...it was always best to wait and let mom labor down first. (Concerns about cervical swelling and lacerations). This was for both primips and multips. At my new job, I checked my pt and she was 7cm, and the doc said to see if she could push through it. The other nurses think I'm nuts because I refused. It may be the norm at this facility but I don't feel comfortable doing it. Does anyone agree?