NBmomto2

My apologies...I had a response typed and sent it before reading it. When I reread it it sounded very rude of me. I apologize to whoever read it. Sorry....I'm going to remain quiet about this topic right now.

My feeling ARE based on evidence I have read. You read...to form opinions that become your personal opinion. Isn't that the way it works? Anyway, my discussion here is done. I will not convince you...which is not what I am trying to do anyway, nor will you convince me.

Still not convinced. But that's ok. It's my own personal choice. I am responsible for my personal health choices as you are for your own. And if anyone asks me what I think of the flu shot, I always them to research it for themselves, because I cannot make a decision for them, or their family. Nor will I tell you what to choose to do for your own personal health., nor should my employer tell me what to do for my personal health. But...I guess that's the sad world where we live now. I truly LOVE my job and for someone to tell me that I do not care about my patients or that I am endangering them for a decision I am making for myself, I resent that. (Not saying that anyone here has said that, but I have had even co-workers imply that to me). I care deeply for my patients. My nursing career started when I was 36 years old and it was a tough journey to get to where I am now, in a job where i feel that I am making a difference in my patients and their family's lives each day. I go to work every day, truly excited for what the day has ahead for me. For my employer to put me in a position where I have to do something that I do not believe in, is very tough. For those of you who have taken the shot, imagine being in a position where you were forced to do something that you didn't believe in or you would lose the job you so desperately love! It's tough. Right now, we can chose to wear a mask, but I do understand that eventually it will come to the point where I will have to decide to get the shot or lose my job.i guess I will have to make a choice at that point as to what to do. And to tell you the truth, I will probably just get the shot at that point, against all my thoughts and beliefs....not because I feel that it will protect my patients, but because I LOVE my job, and my patients, and what I do is a big part of who I am, and I would not want to give that up.

You see...that's where I need to clarify my point. My refusal to take the flu shot is not because of it's potential side effects, nor is it because I think it will cause autism or GBS. My reasoning is solely due to the fact that after reading up on it, I am not convinced that it will do my body any good to take it. I not convinced that it actually prevents the flu, nor does it prevent me from spreading it to, or 'endangering' my patients. There have been studies out there, but tell me, how does one predict, exactly, how effective it is? Let's look at this scenario...i did not get the shot, and don't get the flu or get the flu...go back in time, I get the flu shot, and I don't get the flu/or I get the flu. Sound crazy? Yep, it is. That's why no one can predict what would have happened to someone whether they got the shot or not. Every person's body is different. Everyone reacts to the flu virus differently. Many people who die as a result of the flu, die due to some secondary complication related to the flu...meaning that their immune system was probably jeopardized to begin with. I think it is totally my right to make an informed decision on what I put in my body. My immune system does not need a flu shot putting it into hyperactive mode every year, so that over time it actually works less and less effectively. I get that employers have a right to put policies in place for employees, but in regards to a flu shot, something that is not proven to be something that is even effective in doing what they say it does, I think is ridiculous. Vitamin D boosts a persons immune system, making them healthier, making them less likely to spread illnesses to their patients, but for some people maybe they are not convinced on this either, therefore don't take it daily. And that's ok! What would happen if they forced everyone to take Vit D, each day, or be fired from their job? Or, what would happen of they made everyone be swabbed on a weekly basis for MRSA, or VRE, or be tested for AIDS, or quit smoking? Or be a certain weight, because when they are obese, they are less healthy, thus making it more likely to be sick spreading illness to their patients (or 'endangering' their patients). ....yes....touchy right? But like a flu shot, these are ALL personal health choices!! I really don't think a job should be dependant on personal health choices!!

Just a quick post as I head out, but check into what they call, 'the Golden Hour' for premies. This relates to protecting from bleeds as well as regulation of temp, lungs, etc, during those first hours of life. Will post more later.

The link is not working right now, but I am assuming you are referring to the Family Integrated Care study. We are using it currently in the Unit I work. We find it to be quite helpful for the parents and have gotten much positive feedback with it. Not all parents do it...only the ones that will have an infant there for three weeks or more, and only the parents who agree to do it. As for staffing, we have actually found that it does require more time from the Nurses for teaching, and facilitating the parents' learning. We do regular information sessions as well, on medications, infection control, etc. Overall, it's been a great addition to our unit.

I went back to school after having my two daughters. My second daughter was born at 28 weeks and that experience changed me so much that I decided to go back to school to become a Neonatal nurse. I graduated with the BN degree at age 36 , worked in Peds for a year then got a full time job in the NNICU. I have no desire to go anywhere else. I tell my story to parents, just to show them that I have been where they are. I absolutely LOV e my job!

Good morning. I have a question about the practice of Infant driven feeding in the NICU. I recently watch the Webinar from Dandle Lion, called 'infant Driven Feeding: A Neurodevelopmental approach to feeding infants in the N ICU." I was very intrigued. In our unit now, 20 bed, we have such a diverse group of nurses, and many of us are not on the same page when it comes to when to initiate feeds, feeding plans, how to feed, and how to assess feeding sessions. I really think a systematic approach to infant feeding is needed in all units. What we need is just what Ludwig and Waitzmen says....an objective approach to assessing feeding readiness, and a more objective way to assess feeding sessions. Getting away from charting just fed poor, fair, and well, for ex. I approached our Nurse Manager and our Nurse Educator about the prospect of having our nurses take this online course offered by Ludwig and Waitzman, and they are both as excited about it as I am. We are going to have a meeting next week to discuss it. And the Nurse Educator has emailed to get a group rate for this online course. Please offer any advice you may have pertaining to this Infant Driven Feeding approach. Do you use it in your unit? What are your experiences with it? Here are a couple of links referring to the above webinar and course I referred to. http://www.dandlelion-webinars.com/previous-teleclasses/2013-2/archive-november-2013/ http://store.healthstream.com/product.aspx?zpid=37648&sr=true And a link to the Infant Driven Feeding site. http://www.infantdrivenfeeding.com

We do not allow any stuffies from home, unless placed in a bag at the bedside. Any blankets or clothing from home has to be washed in the unit before allowing it to be with the babies. This is because of our infection control policies.

We see them quite often on our unit. We have a scoring system for these babies who we usually see start to withdraw within 12 hours. Our policy is to start scoring them at 6 hrs old. We score with each feed and with three scores over 8 we start them on a Morphine regimen every 4 hours. This morphine helps them to cope with symptoms....which may include all or some of these symptoms....jitteriness, irritability, high pitch cry, poor feeding, skin breakdown on face from them rubbing, diaper rash, high temp, sweating, sneezing, regurgitation, tremors, yawning, even seizures if serious. I've seen very mild symptoms and I've also seen a baby practically levitating off the matress in an isolette because they were tremoring so much! This morphine will get decreased as the baby's withdrawal symptoms decrease. And when the baby is off morphine for 5 days then we plan discharge. Problem is that most time we are trying to track down the mother in order for her to come in to learn to feed her baby. It's all so sad...but I'd take a methadone baby over a fetal alcohol anytime when it comes to the longterm outcomes....

Hi there...I'm wondering what kind of feeding systems you use in the particular NICU where you work? What's the brand of the system and what do you like dislike about it? I'm wondering because two months ago our nurse manager decided to change our feeding system...giving us a system that is not suitable at all. I'm not sure how to handle it. It's been two months now and we're using these new syringes (that are NOT in sterile packaging...I should add) to feed our very tiny premmies (700-800 grams and smaller) to our growing prems.That's the first issue. Another issue is that after a little research I found that these Baxa syringes that we are using (that are completely amber in color) are actually meant for med administration and the reason they are amber is for light sensitive meds. We all HATE the new system since we question that cleanliness of them, and because they are amber we cannot see the color of the residuals we are getting when we check the tube placements. Very scary when you think that a baby can get NEC very quickly and how are we to see if there are flecks or anything else in the residual??? I also found out that Baxa actually has a system that is called Neothrive that is specifically for feeding of neonates. I passed all this info on to my NM as well as the staff educator. All they are saying is that they are 'looking into it'. UUGGG frustrating!! One more thing....our infusion pumps we are using...and NOT set up to recognize these syringes...therefore we are having to select a different manu name on the pump in order for the pump to work....totally not safe. I...and all the other nurses...have noticed that the pump gives more than what we program in because the pump is actually giving the milk according to a totally different size and diameter of syringe than the one put in. kwim? We are putting only the require amt in the syringes now...but at times if we put the infusion over an hour it will actually go in over 45-50 minutes because according to the pump there should still be more in the syringe to give. I have filled out numorous incident reports on this issue....and still no word! I am so mad right now....we are putting the safety of these babies at risk and noone seems to care! I really don't know what else to do....but I really hate that we are put into the position to give care that is unsafe for these mini patients.

I actually work as a pediatric nurse in Canada, and I saw first hand this week how a DR. admitted a pediatric pt. (with flu like symptoms) with a diagnosis of H1N1, before any swabbing was done. I did the swabbing once he was admitted to the unit. We had to fight with admitting office to actually get the diagnosis changed, which was done. This child came in afebrile, with just a little bit of a stuffy nose.He ended up staying for 2 days, even though he didn't need to, and we discharged him only to find out a few hours later that the test was positive for H1N1. But...this proved to me that the numbers (which are not that high to begin with), I'm seeing of people admitted to the hospital with H1N1 are grossly exaggerated. I suspect I'll see more of it in the days and weeks to come.

I passed!! :yeah::yeah: What a TOTAL relief!! Just about all of my classmates got their results today. Seems like a lot of us passed! According to our Facebook Statuses anyway. LOL Hope the rest of you don't wait too much longer!

This waiting is totally making me crazy!