elizabells BSN, RN

NICU

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All Content by elizabells

  1. elizabells

    Isolette covers

    elizabells posted a topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I keep seeing references in threads to Isolette covers, like they're a specific thing. We use... blankets. Often it's the same hospital-issue blankets we use to swaddle, make beds/rolls, etc. You...
  2. elizabells

    Univ of Mich ECMO training

    elizabells posted a topic in PICU, Pediatric

    Has anyone been? I'm talking about the ECMO specialist training course. My unit keeps making noises about training RNs to run the pump bc we don't have enough perfusionists, so I asked if I could do...
  3. elizabells

    NCLEX urban legends

    elizabells posted a topic in NCLEX Exam, Programs

    Okay. Here's my thinking - those of us who have taken the NCLEX should post myths we heard and their falsity. Please, please only post things you KNOW to be false. Then folks who are flippin out (as...
  4. elizabells

    preparing for your first night shift

    elizabells posted a topic in General Nursing

    So. I finally got the email on my senior practicum clinical placement: I'm in one of the best NICUs in the country (WOOOOOOOO!!!!) on nights (also WOOOOOO!!!) Now, while I'm definitely excited for...
  5. elizabells

    IR Drain???

    elizabells posted a topic in Nursing Student Assistance

    Hellooooo my friends. I'm doing a careplan on a patient with an IR drain. I have NO idea what this is, and neither does google or any of my texts. Neither did my preceptor (!). By the time I realized...
  6. elizabells

    Silliest thing you ever did after a long shift...

    elizabells posted a topic in General Nursing

    So my unit is way over census and understaffed. I've had an utterly ridiculous assignment the last few nights; you know, the kind of shift where when 0700 rolls around the fact that you and all your...
  7. elizabells

    My two least favorite words

    elizabells posted a topic in General Nursing

    "Nurse's discretion" Translation: we have no intention of giving you any guidance, so you're on your own, but if a family member doesn't like something you said or did, we're totally going to yell at...
  8. elizabells

    Who runs your ECMO pumps?

    elizabells posted a topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Hey, all. In the time I've worked in the NICU, I've gotten hopelessly, irredeemably addicted to ECMO. At my hospital Clinical Perfusionists set up and run the pumps and we look after the babies. I...
  9. elizabells

    Humiliating IV questions

    elizabells posted a topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Hey, y'all. I have an embarassing confession to make. I've been in the NICU, student and RN, since March of 06. In that time, I have successfully started ONE IV. One. Now, I'm really good at...
  10. elizabells

    Problems with blood bank

    elizabells replied to Sweeper933's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Okay, I know I'm terrible, and I'm sorry you're having frustrations with this (and I would be BOILING mad if I were you) but I'm giggling like a fiend right now. It's late, I guess. Nothing about this...
  11. elizabells

    One of those weeks

    elizabells replied to elizabells's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    The tally from the last M&M was 18 in a month. Which more than doubled our previous high, which was 8. We took the other NEC twin off the other day 2/2 a bad bleed. On the bright side, I had the...
  12. elizabells

    One of those weeks

    elizabells posted a topic in NICU, Neonatal

    So in the past week, we've had: A former 36wk TGA who was grown for a while, full feeds, used to take him off the monitor and walk him around. Then we did his arterial switch. Died suddenly just after...
  13. elizabells

    One of those weeks

    elizabells replied to elizabells's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Jesus mercy. Now we have a neonatal leukemia. Our fellow told me today we've had fourteen deaths this month. The NEC kid died. We got another bad, bad NEC from an OSH a few days ago, and today they...
  14. elizabells

    pain management in infants with chest tubes

    elizabells replied to dopeyrn's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Well, we do have a new TEN PAGE flowsheet for PCAs and drips... that'll fix
  15. elizabells

    pain management in infants with chest tubes

    elizabells replied to dopeyrn's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    yappy, the thing that's frustrating is that we've DONE all that. JHACO hit us hard on our (total lack of) pain management this summer. The issue is a total culture change at this point. The knowledge...
  16. elizabells

    pain management in infants with chest tubes

    elizabells replied to dopeyrn's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    You guys, if I told you how hard I had to fight and kick and scream today to get ONE DOSE of PO Tylenol for a kid who'd just been circed, who was lying there going ballistic, PIPP score of 10, with no...
  17. elizabells

    Things you'd LOVE to be able to tell patients, and get away with it.

    elizabells replied to AngelfireRN's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    1. PLEASE stop pretending you understand more than the most basic English. The doctors are starting to think I'm crazy when I call them back for the tenth time to explain the gravity of your child's...
  18. elizabells

    Things you'd LOVE to be able to tell patients, and get away with it.

    elizabells replied to AngelfireRN's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    "If the smell of smoke coming off you can knock me, who has smoked a pack a day for ten years, halfway off my feet and make me instantly nauseated when you come to visit your...
  19. elizabells

    pain management in infants with chest tubes

    elizabells replied to dopeyrn's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Oh, bitty, they hate me too. I got called into the principal's office and warned that my Pyxis usage was being monitored because I actually, you know, GAVE PRN's when they were ordered on an ECMO...
  20. elizabells

    pain management in infants with chest tubes

    elizabells replied to dopeyrn's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Pain meds for chest tubes? Oh, that would be nice. Most of the time I can't get them to order meds when they're putting the chest tube IN, like not even lidocaine, let alone Fentanyl or
  21. elizabells

    nursing assistants mixing breastmilk

    elizabells replied to Lil' sister's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Man, we don't even let moms put their own breast milk in the fridge anymore. Like Steve said, triple scan with the barcode dealie. When a junior nurse screwed up EBM, they got suspended. Once it...
  22. elizabells

    MRSA colonization and staff

    elizabells replied to oramar's topic in Infectious Disease

    Nope. They were off for two weeks, paid. I do know of one woman who was actually infected while working, and the strain was identified as originating with a particular patient. She had multiple...
  23. elizabells

    Baby in a bag!

    elizabells posted a topic in Ob/Gyn

    Hey guys. I caught an interesting situation the other day and wanted to see how common it really is. We had a 31wk multip being induced for HELLP. Apparently it was going really sl-o-o-o-w, and I, as...
  24. elizabells

    Gravity Feeds

    elizabells replied to NICU Mama's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I promise that it's not. We just passed JCAHO, and while we did have to make some changes, this wasn't one of them. ALL of our cares on 99% of our babies are at 8-11-2-5, and the general practice is...
  25. elizabells

    Funny/happy NICU moments needed

    elizabells replied to 2curlygirls's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Or with every heelstick/IV start/diaper change: If you'd stop KICKING ME this wouldn't take so long and I'd leave you alone