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NICUismylife

NICUismylife ADN, BSN, RN

NICU, RNC
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NICUismylife is a ADN, BSN, RN and specializes in NICU, RNC.

NICUismylife's Latest Activity

  1. NICUismylife

    Less Saturated areas of CA?

    NICUismylife replied to Lulu Belle's topic in California

    Bakersfield or Fresno would probably be your best bet. I was hired into my specialty of choice as a new grad in Bakersfield.
  2. NICUismylife

    WGU RN to BSN

    NICUismylife replied to Flightmed123's topic in School Programs

    Loved WGU. I finished in 6 months (I had no life outside of work and school for those 6 months, but it was worth it!) I was in CA, so I did have to find a preceptor and had a higher clinical hour requirement than other states, and I still recommend WGU. No homework, no group projects, no discussion forums. It was great, but you do need to be self-motivated.
  3. NICUismylife

    Help! Jobs for NICU nurse 1 year experience

    NICUismylife replied to luvjacqueline's topic in NICU

    When I worked in Cali, day-shift slots were only for those with seniority. New hires were always for nights. It often took upwards of 4+ years at the same facility in order to be able to land a day-shift position, and those tended to open up only when people retired or moved out of town. I did work at a union facility though, which kept it's employees pretty darned happy and there was low turnover.
  4. NICUismylife

    Thermoregulation

    NICUismylife replied to preemieRN15's topic in NICU

    No, we don't "just swaddle them." We still use bendy-bumpers to create nests, and frogs and gel pads, prone positioners and everything else, but we definitely swaddle them as well. We have actual swaddle devices, or we can use blankets, but all our babes are swaddled, unless (as I stated in my initial post) we need to see their chest/abdomen, and then, as I mentioned before, we swaddle the legs. And our developmental specialists will round on all our babes and evaluate them and make suggestions too.
  5. NICUismylife

    Thermoregulation

    NICUismylife replied to preemieRN15's topic in NICU

    I should also mention that we have full time NICU-specific OT/PT and developmental care specialists that work with each kid to ensure they are getting the most developmentally appropriate care that is realistic for their current health status. And we have a ton of developmental supplies, there is an entire storage room dedicated to just developmental care items. I was honestly blown away when I came here because I came from a hospital that didn't ever swaddle isolette babes, and is/was really behind as far as developmentally appropriate care goes.
  6. NICUismylife

    Any Washington state NICU RNs?

    NICUismylife replied to preemieRN15's topic in NICU

    I'm in Spokane if you want to message me, but I admit, I don't get on the forums super often.
  7. NICUismylife

    Thermoregulation

    NICUismylife replied to preemieRN15's topic in NICU

    I've worked at hospitals that do it both ways. Currently I work in a large level IV NICU in a children's hospital and we swaddle even tiny babes in isolettes unless there is a specific reason that we need to watch the babe's chest or belly, or if their skin is so gelatinous/thin that they can't tolerate it. If we do need to see chest/abdomen, we still swaddle the legs. It's developmentally appropriate for them to be swaddled whenever possible. It does make the temp probe read a bit higher, but we just increase the bed temp to compensate for that, and maintaining a consistent temp isn't generally an issue. Our babes stay in isolette on servo until 1800g, and then gradually wean to open crib.
  8. NICUismylife

    small baby unit staffing

    NICUismylife replied to kdavey319's topic in NICU

    I work in a level IV NICU in a large Children's Hospital. We see a lot of micropreemies. Do you have specific questions?
  9. NICUismylife
    You were only given 4 weeks of orientation? Are you an experienced nurse or a new grad? That really doesn't sound like nearly enough time to develop time management and assessment skills necessary. No wonder you are struggling! I'm so sorry. I got 22 WEEKS of orientation when I first started.
  10. NICUismylife

    How to prioritize 4+ patients?

    NICUismylife replied to xmilkncookiesx's topic in Nurses

    When I get morning report, it is done on a WOW (workstation on wheels) at the bedside. All orders and labs are reviewed on the computer together, as well as the IV site and all drips being double-checked together. All of this is signed off on by both nurses, also on the computer. Therefore, I have also laid eyes and hands on every patient prior to the shift beginning and am well aware of whether one of my patients is unstable or "crashing." But way to make assumptions.
  11. NICUismylife

    Med/Surg blues

    NICUismylife replied to MariKitty08's topic in Nurses

    I really depends on your local nursing climate. I live in an underserved area, so all of my classmates were able to go directly into their specialty of choice. We also have a lot of new grads come in from other areas in order to be able to go straight into their chosen specialty rather than stay where they were and have to do LTC or med-surg first. If you are lucky enough to live in an underserved area, it won't be an issue, and if you're willing to move to go straight into your preferred specialty, then that is an option too.
  12. NICUismylife

    New nurse who feels like a failure

    NICUismylife replied to Nrscaroline's topic in Nurses

    As a new grad, you have 8 patients and no aide? Am I reading that right? Sounds like they are setting you up to fail. Start looking for a new job ASAP.
  13. NICUismylife
    I agree, if your current employer cannot offer you full time employment, they shouldn't be upset with your looking for a per diem position to supplement your income. I'd have an honest conversation with your manager. If you are a valuable employee, they should be supportive.
  14. NICUismylife

    How to prioritize 4+ patients?

    NICUismylife replied to xmilkncookiesx's topic in Nurses

    Also, once you've been on a particular floor for a while, you will notice that there are some meds that are super common. When I was in school, I kept a one-page log of them that included indication, mechanism of action, safe dosage, administration info (slow push over 2 mins vs. 60 min IVPB, etc), common side effects, most severe side effects, contraindications, and preparation. It saved me so much time from having to look up the same meds every shift. For example, I had famotidine, pantoprazole, furosemide, spirinolactone, heparin, enoxaparin, warfarin, prednisone, ondansetron, morphine, dilaudid, lisinopril, hydralazine, metformin, insulin, cephazolin, etc.
  15. NICUismylife

    How to prioritize 4+ patients?

    NICUismylife replied to xmilkncookiesx's topic in Nurses

    How are the morning reports that you are getting? If you are getting a thorough report, you shouldn't have to review admission notes and labs, they should have already been included in morning report, and if it's not, then ask! I rarely get a chance to review admission notes or H&P until later in the shift. Get report, maybe glance at the labs and meds to plan out your schedule for the day (0800 meds vs. 1000 meds, etc), and then go straight in and get your assessments in ASAP. I'm like the pp that said they try to finish each patient before moving to the next. For example, if I have a patient that has labs right off, then I'll normally do their assessment and labs first prior to heading to the next patient. Or if I have one that needs meds right off, then I'll do their assessment and meds first before moving to the next. A good brain worksheet is essential, IMO. If your school doesn't provide one, then I suggest you make one up for yourself. I would be a disorganized mess without mine!
  16. NICUismylife

    Confused senior

    NICUismylife replied to SN12345's topic in Students

    Med-surg is not for everyone. Do not base your desire to be a nurse just on your clinical experience in med-surg. I'm a NICU nurse and I leave work every day looking forward to coming back, but I struggled to get through my med-surg clinicals in school. Don't get me wrong, I gave it my best and was consistently told by my instructors that I did it well, but it just wasn't my niche. Med-surg nurses are rock stars IMO. I couldn't be happy doing what they do on a daily basis, and don't even get me started on the ratios.
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