Mags4711 RN

Newborn ICU, Trauma ICU, Burn ICU, Peds

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All Content by Mags4711

  1. Mags4711

    Bar Code Medication Administration NICU Style

    Mags4711 posted a topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Hello everyone! My institution (teritiary care, Level IIIc NICU) is moving to scanning for med administration soon. I have been charged with the task of polling other NICU's to find out how you all...
  2. Mags4711

    Isolette Practices

    Mags4711 replied to nickirn31's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I try to dissuade them from even popping when reintubating (if it is a semi-controlled situation). The trays slide out and spin, so the lower half of the baby can remain in the warm environment. I...
  3. Mags4711

    How long until day shift on your unit?

    Mags4711 replied to 24gaDalek's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Whoatemyburger: You work in a NICU where there's *high* turnover?? I don't think I've ever heard of such a
  4. Mags4711

    Isolette Practices

    Mags4711 replied to nickirn31's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    There is data that speaks to the possibility of it taking hours for the box and baby temps to stabilize after having the "top popped." I only open if ABSOLUTELY necessary. And it usually
  5. Mags4711

    Has anyone ever 'taped' a gravity feed?

    Mags4711 replied to tinkerbell419's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Yes, there is literature that speaks to the benefits of gravity bolus feeds versus pump feeds. I'll dig through my stuff when I get a moment and post some links. My hospital used to use syringe pumps...
  6. Mags4711

    How long until day shift on your unit?

    Mags4711 replied to 24gaDalek's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Depending on the availability, often after 1-2 years you can get a day/night rotation. Our unit only rotates folks 1-3 nights/4 week schedule. But for straight days? 12's will take 26+years....
  7. Mags4711

    MRSA Best Practices?

    Mags4711 posted a topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Hello fellow NICU folk! I am working on MRSA best practices and am trying to get a sense (beyond what the "Consensus Statement of the Chicago-Area Neonatal MRSA Working Group" says) of what *your*...
  8. Mags4711

    MRSA Best Practices?

    Mags4711 replied to Mags4711's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Same here, every baby that enters our unit gets swabbed on admission, every Monday (unless positive, then they are no longer screened), and on transfer or
  9. Mags4711

    MRSA Best Practices?

    Mags4711 replied to Mags4711's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We have been using CHG wipes on our neonates for a little over a year. We only decolonize if they turn positive, though (CHG wipe baths for seven days, and Bactroban Nasal Ointment 2% to nares and...
  10. Mags4711

    Visitation during handoff

    Mags4711 replied to maxx12's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We are all private rooms (Level IIIc) and visitors are allowed at all times. We have now also moved to bedside report (standing in the patient room, parents and visitors present!) to allow parents to...
  11. Mags4711

    Patient's Families as Facebook Friends....

    Mags4711 replied to spacey's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I would say about 40% of our staff are friends are with current patients, probably close to 60% are friends with previous patients and families. I do have a problem with it. I won't do it. I have...
  12. Mags4711

    arterial stab policy on your units?

    Mags4711 replied to sweet0176's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    If you've ever had an art stick, you'd understand why I am about to say what I'm going to say. I HATE THEM!!!!! Lots of our RN's will do them to get "larger" samples of blood (and not even try a...
  13. Mags4711

    open visitation/ 24/7

    Mags4711 replied to kalamazoo's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I work across the state from you, Kalamazoo, and we have open visitation 24/7. We have been that way for at least six years and I still dislike it. Only the parents are allowed to stay in the rooms...
  14. Mags4711

    Bereavement

    Mags4711 replied to iluvnicu's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We send cards after death, six months, and then at a year out. We order our cards (and a nice natural paper box) from Memories Unlimited, Inc http://www.memoriesunlimited.com/ Our transporters take...
  15. Mags4711

    How long did you study for the RNC exam?

    Mags4711 replied to rncarolyn's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    My hospital just paid for us to take the NICU review course that Dr. Verklan gives. It was quite thorough and good. Seriously, vent changes??? That's not even in my scope of practice! How can they...
  16. Mags4711

    Need help from everyone re: communication devices.

    Mags4711 posted a topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Hello fellow NICU folks. We are building a new hospital and our NICU is going from 9 to 12 bed rooms to all single care rooms. Needless to say it's quite an adjustment for most of us. I've been...
  17. Mags4711

    Need help from everyone re: communication devices.

    Mags4711 replied to Mags4711's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    THANK YOU to all who have replied. Keep them coming, folks! Anyone use
  18. Mags4711

    baby sitting primary after discharge

    Mags4711 replied to iHeartNICU's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Many, many, many of my co-workers do it. Quite a few go to birthday parties and exchange cards and go to lunch together, too. I do not. I feel like I'm putting them out of the nest and sending...
  19. Mags4711

    Question about your unit

    Mags4711 replied to EarlyAdditionRN's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I work in a 40 bed (can be up to 43) Level IIIc NICU (once called a Level IV, but now the max is Level IIIc) in a large teaching hospital. We have inborns as well as transports and our own transport...
  20. Mags4711

    Rounds

    Mags4711 replied to NICU_babyRN's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I am in a moderate sized (40 bed) Level IIIc NICU at a teaching hospital. All our rounding services expect RN input. We have had to beg, borrow, steal, plead and threaten to get them to this point....
  21. Mags4711

    soluset/buretrol tubing

    Mags4711 replied to picucrn's topic in PICU, Pediatric

    Us too, though the ER used to put them on all peds/neonatal cases (even though they used pumps just like the units did). When they hit the admitting unit they were promptly thrown
  22. Mags4711

    Is a new grad in the Burn/Trauma ICU to specialized

    Mags4711 replied to zram44's topic in Critical Care

    I think you will be fine. One thing I learned very early on was that trauma and burns do not discriminate... What does that mean? Well, think about who might be involved in a car accident or a house...
  23. Mags4711

    Do you allow rings of any kind in your NICU??? and other infection questions...

    Mags4711 replied to NANSNURSE's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    About a year and a half ago we went to nothing below the elbows for the staff. We totally wish it included visitors! We do not allow any fleece clothing and have recently started to make nurses with...
  24. Mags4711

    Vancomycin & lipids

    Mags4711 replied to NICU_babyRN's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Vanc used to be incompatible with lipids in our med books, but in the past year it has listed them as compatible. Amp can be given at a rate of 100mg per minute, so I just turn off my TPN and push it...
  25. Mags4711

    Do you swab for MRSA upon admission?

    Mags4711 replied to BittyBabyGrower's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I work in an academic Level IIIc NICU (in case anyone is using these answers to benchmark) and we swab all admits, transfers and then weekly every Monday. We used to put all transfers into...