nicuRN2007

Hi everyone. I'm very frustrated with the lack of knowledge of the general public of what being a nurse means. My own mother doesn't even seem to get it. When I told my father that I had been accepted into the nursing program he seemed excited, bu...

Hey everyone! I'm a new nurse, and I've been working NICU for 8 months. I'm newly pregnant and I remember reading on here a while back that pregnant women shouldn't take care of patients on iNO. Can you give me more info on this? I've never hear...

Hey everyone! I was just wondering for those who work night shift and get a weekend shift differential, when does weekend shift start and end for your hospital? Is Friday night considered weekend at your hospital? Is Sunday night? Also, if you d...

I've talked to several people who have gone, and everyone says it's amazing. I'm definitely going to go next time one of the exhibits is near me.

Our morphine comes in the 10 mg/ml vials. I pull up 0.1 ml, then pull up 0.9 of NS to dilute it to a concentration of 1 mg/ml. I mix it in the syringe, then push it out to the dose. So if my dose is 0.1 mg, I'll push up 0.1 ml. So now I have the ...

As a NICU nurse and being pregnant with my first, that really got to me. What a beautiful family. I can't stop crying!

Hey guys. Just wanted to say...I feel the same. I just graduated in May, am recently on my own, and I feel so much anxiety and dread before work sometimes I just don't know what to do. I have always wanted to be a nurse. People tell me all the ti...

Sounds to me like you handled yourself quite well. Sorry your instructor was so unhelpful. I hated clinicals!

I wear gloves when there's a possibility I will come into contact with a bodily fluid (starting IV's, drawing labs, changing diaper [but usually only if it's stool], or when handling breast milk). We scrub when we come in and have alcohol foam at ea...

Does everyone else hear this a lot? People always say to me something along the lines of, "I don't know how you can do what you do, I can't stand to see those sick babies." I almost don't know how to take this. I'm sure they don't mean it this way,...

I've worked in 2 NICU's (externed in one while in school, and I now work as a RN in another), and in both, parents are required to wear a hospital gown over their clothes if holding their baby.

Yes, I always use a filter needle to draw the vit. k, and switch back to the other needle.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions on what to say everyone. Glad to know I'm not the only one who's a little unsure of how to take the comment. I love the Giraffe beds! They're great.

Hi. Your son will not lose his license if he goes into rehab. He should seek help. There are many awesome nurses who have been through what your son is going through, and have fully recovered. There are several nurses on these boards who have bee...

We only filter TPN's, not IL's.

Thanks everyone for the replies. Just curious what goes on in other hospitals. Susan...sounds like you got a good deal there! I might have to come work with you!

Do all NICU's use heelsticks only for routine lab draws. We are only supposed to use heelsticks. For some babies, I find heelsticks to be more traumatic than venepuncture, especially those who just don't want to bleed and those with very thin skin....

Thank you all for your replies. I was just curious what goes on out there in other NICU's.

Hehe. Sorry, don't mean to laugh; it's just funny the way you put it. Now I'm dying to know if you are pregnant. Keep us posted.

I took the hesi and got a 1072 and passed the nclex with 75 questions.

I love 12 hour shifts...I'm a little tired by the end of my 3rd day, but having 4 days off is worth it. It truly gives me time to recover before starting back again. I feel like it gives me time to get things done, and I feel it's better for the pa...

Our census is about average for us right now, but our acuity is way down.

Aww, sorry about that. I also believe everything happens for a reason, and maybe that job just isn't meant to be.

I think it's very considerate of you who are done having kids to volunteer to assist with the x-rays for the younger nurses. I'm a brand new nurse in the NICU, and I heard some nurses who are no-longer of child-bearing years complaining the other da...

Started with over 60, finished with 28.