hikernurse

Very nice!! Ironically, I don't think people always realize how much we do because we are always there.

Just a thought for those who have too many absences. If you have a condition that will keep you out several days or intermittently (and you meet certain requirements such as number of hours worked, etc.) FMLA is a great way to protect your job. Th...

We let family decide when the baby goes to the morgue, too. Wow, an hour and a half isn't very long . I've had babies who have stayed with their families for an entire shift. If they are facing a lifetime without their child, a few hours seems a s...

The question does not state he lives with his adult son, but assessing the situation is necessary. If the patient were being neglected/abused talking to him alone is imperative. I would go with number three. The wording of "odd" smells is interes...

We are assigned how many night shifts we need to complete during a schedule period. We have only twelve hour shifts. We can always work more, but not less :). The nurses have some latitude about how they choose to execute this. Some prefer to keep th...

That is a good idea! I'll have to pass that around our unit. We mostly do car seat challenges at night too, that way parents aren't denied holding their baby if they come in during the challenge. It is an awfully long day when there is still the ch...

They do have to lug it in, but we do have car seat specialists who are available to place it in their car afterwards. Honestly, in all the time I've worked in the NICU, I've only seen one baby who has used the convertible car seat. I think most par...

Like Miranda said, this is probably more of a psychological comfort than anything else, but it definitely makes me feel better. I don't even keep dirty scrubs in the family hamper although the patients I work with are not very germy (I work in a NIC...

Our unit follows the AAP guidelines without exception. We do car seat trials on all our patients, even the full-term ones. The nurse assigned to the patient is the one who does the trial as part of the baby's stay. We are always in sight of the ba...

The part your preceptor would appreciate most is a well thought out thank you note. (Although a gift card is also nice :)) Forwarding a note describing your experience to your department management and educators would also be greatly appreciated! E...

That's ridiculous . How can people be expected to work for 12+ hours without hydration? I guess it saves taking time out to pee.....

You did the right thing, if that's any comfort!! An untreated UTI is not only impossible to work with but can lead to other problems. I'm glad you're getting in to the doctor. Nurses can and do get sick on orientation and most work places aren't ...

Some certifications such as CCRN require work experience first. I would imagine that "no pass off" classes are not considered as legitimate. Hospitals in my area only accept American Heart Association certification. They offer on-line tests that ...

We don't have a policy that covers that specifically, although we do have one for social networking. We do get to know and care for our babies and their families well during their stay and I can certainly see the desire to stay in touch, but I don'...

There is a day class that would get you a certificate. I did look up the stable website and I didn't see any classes in Oregon. It was a bit confusing as Oregon was stuck in the middle of the Oklahoma classes. I imagine some hospitals would teach...

STABLE is a program designed to stabilize babies, basically. Amazon has the book if you want to purchase it. You can also google STABLE and order it straight. It covers the basics and has some great information. We use it for our NICU orientation ...

I completely agree with orthonurse. It would be a bad idea to cross those boundaries. It's frustrating looking for work--especially when you've found the job you want!! Just keep it on the professional level and you'll get much farther. Good luck...

It's a price I'd be willing to pay for being able to sleep nights, but that's me. I hope you're able to find a way to work out your new schedule :).

I work in a locked unit and when I encounter a closed door in real life (at home or an elevator, even) I'll reach up for my badge to scan it open. When I'm really deep in thought I find myself irritated that my badge isn't there and I'll have to cal...

A different animal image specifically assigned to each baby?

How the heck do these work?? Obviously, I'm not the person who can do much more than a ponytail, LOL .

As long as you are professional, there's no reason not to ask. They might not have an opening, but you can tell them you are interested in changing schedules when they do. I'd talk to the DON sometime during orientation. It doesn't have to be a bi...

Of ten grams... :) An enema is only a couple of mls and comes in an oral syringe. You get to call your patients Mr. Grouchypants and nobody complains Your patients total urine output for the shift is an ounce and you're stoked that he's finally getti...

I wish I had some words of wisdom about netbooks, but this quote had me roaring--such a typical nursing student you will be . And a typical nurse, too--many of us still customize our journals, inservice handouts and nursing reading material . With ...

The simple answer is that you will have as much family time as you choose to make. Obviously, classes and clinicals get in the way, but there are ways to mitigate that. I had several children when I started nursing school, even younger than yours....