Gompers BSN, RN

NICU

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All Content by Gompers

  1. Gompers

    Did you see this on the Today Show?

    Gompers replied to dawngloves's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! Yes, 28 weeks is NORMALLY the point where most preemies are going to be okay - meaning they'll probably survive. This isn't saying they'll have easy NICU courses...
  2. Gompers

    Speaking of Noise In The Nicu....I have a ?

    Gompers replied to RNwntaB's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Right, those are your criers - the drug, gut, and BPD kids. Sometimes in the step-down area of a NICU with the feeder-growers it'll get a bit crazy with the crying, but that's very rare. It seems to...
  3. Gompers

    Nights: Normal schedule on days off??

    Gompers replied to Curious1alwys's topic in General Nursing

    The thing about working full-time evening shift is that you tend to not see your family and friends except for those two days off you have per week. Most of our socializing goes on in the evening...
  4. Gompers

    Nights: Normal schedule on days off??

    Gompers replied to Curious1alwys's topic in General Nursing

    You're going to find that about half of night shift nurses try to have normal schedules on their days off, and the other half are at least partial night owls all the time. It's going to vary widely,...
  5. Gompers

    Feedings while on Indocin???

    Gompers replied to nursechick182's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Once in a while our docs will try to start or continue tropic feeds while on Indocin, but we usually ask them do D/C them because it makes us so nervous. Way too many spontaneous perfs on Indocin!...
  6. Gompers

    Hypothetical feeding question.

    Gompers replied to dawngloves's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    There we are again with the trend of severe NEC with grower-feeders! Also agree that making them NPO isn't the answer. I personally think that the best way to deal with this problem is to find out...
  7. Gompers

    Hypothetical feeding question.

    Gompers replied to dawngloves's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Very interesting topic. We wouldn't discontinue feeds, but I often worry about gut circulation in kids that brady that much or that low. I hate it when we have feeder-growers who are having bradys...
  8. Gompers

    37 weeker NICU stay possible...

    Gompers replied to bluepenguin's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Congratulations on your new little boy! It's wonderful that they were able to do the bili lights in your room - most of the time kids have to be in the nursery for that. Sounds like your hospital...
  9. Gompers

    Thank you!

    Gompers replied to bubbly's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Congrats on your new job! Make sure to come back and visit us once you start working in July - lots of great info here and tons of helpful NICU nurses right at your
  10. Gompers

    Level 2 vs Level 3 NICU

    Gompers replied to PEDSVA's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Very true about the gray areas when it comes to Level II nurseries. Excellent
  11. Gompers

    Had an interview with NICU...

    Gompers replied to cindib's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Congrats on your NICU internship! Welcome to the Neonatal forum! As far as working nights, if you do a search on the main nursing board you'll find hundreds of posts about how to transition to off...
  12. Gompers

    Have you been bagging babies?

    Gompers replied to dawngloves's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We have the sterile bags, I'll check the brand when I go to work tonight. We use them on babies we know will be less than about 28 weeks. Even though they're sterile, we don't put the baby into them...
  13. Gompers

    Neonatal Careers

    Gompers replied to futurennp's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Home care is another option. Some nurses do many scheduled visits a day, while others actually work shifts as a private duty nurse. Lots of NICUs are sending home babies with oxygen, monitors,...
  14. Gompers

    Art Sticks

    Gompers replied to Shenandoah's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I've also worked in a NICU where only the docs and RT's could do art sticks. The thing with RT's is that most of them learn it in school and do it in adults -they're the ones often responsible for...
  15. Gompers

    My time in a NICU in Honduras

    Gompers replied to LilPeanut's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Awesome post! Good for you, both on the Honduras trip AND the new
  16. Gompers

    Parents and handwashing/foam,gel

    Gompers replied to Preemies R Me's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    That's awesome!!! I wish we had a timer like that. I'm so tired of seeing parents do 20-second scrubs because they think no one is looking. And hello, it's THEIR baby, you'd think they'd be extra...
  17. Gompers

    Art Sticks

    Gompers replied to Shenandoah's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I wish our RNs could do PICCs/PCVCs. About a dozen of our "best sticks" did take a class a few years ago, but it was for a very specific brand of catheters and about a week after the class, our unit...
  18. Gompers

    Peaks and troughs...how does your unit remember?

    Gompers replied to climberrn's topic in General Nursing

    We have a computerized charting and medication system, that helps a ton. The docs will time the peak and trough order for when the third (or whichever, depending on the drug) dose is due. Nursing...
  19. Gompers

    Youngest age of a nurse

    Gompers replied to daisey_may's topic in General Nursing

    I do think it's strange when people are shocked at how young nurses are. I mean, if you go to college straight out of high school, it's totally normal to have an ASN at 19 or 20, and a BSN at 21 or...
  20. Gompers

    Parents and handwashing/foam,gel

    Gompers replied to Preemies R Me's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    why, i do believe you've invented a new word! i love it!!!
  21. Gompers

    Art Sticks

    Gompers replied to Shenandoah's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Oh yeah, another thing we do... You know the plastic thing that covers the needle on the butterfly to protect it in the package? When you find the pulse, take that plastic sheath and press the end of...
  22. Gompers

    Art Sticks

    Gompers replied to Shenandoah's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I have better luck with radial sticks, and I find that the artery almost always lines up perfectly with the index finger. Just draw a mental line down and you should be pretty close. I also change...
  23. Gompers

    oral vs. nasal intubation

    Gompers replied to preemieRNkate's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I've only seen it in pictures. I think in certain countries they prefer nasal over oral intubation in neonates - isn't it popular in Canada? Anyone? We've only done it once or twice, in older...
  24. Gompers

    NCC Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing Certification

    Gompers replied to jack4408's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I have the previous version of this review book and it's excellent! Everything is divided into chapters and broken up into short tests, so it's very easy to work on one chapter at a time and it...
  25. Gompers

    How Do You Welcome Families?

    Gompers replied to twinkletoes53's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We don't let parents visit in the morning when the doctors and NNPs are doing their rounds. Reason? HIPAA!!! If parents want to meet with the doctors to discuss their baby's progress and plan of...