NicuGal MSN, RN

NICU, PICU, PACU

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All Content by NicuGal

  1. NicuGal

    Y's vs. Stopcocks

    NicuGal replied to luvsnicu's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    It depends on the situation. I don't think there is a higher risk of contamination with the stopcocks, we cap and clean them the same way we do any other entry point. When you use a lot of Y's, it...
  2. NicuGal

    Cooling

    NicuGal replied to Jtsqueek's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We had to be trained in cooling with the machine...and we use esophageal temp probes which have to be confirmed by an x-ray. You can turn the warmer off and keep the area cool pending transfer, but I...
  3. NicuGal

    argument after delivery

    NicuGal replied to Lanesmama's topic in Ob/Gyn

    That's a daily occurence where I work lol Most of the time, we are right when we play Who's the Baby Daddy lol My hubby and I both have red hair...imagine our surprise when I popped out one of my...
  4. NicuGal

    Be Careful When Posting

    NicuGal replied to TheCommuter's topic in General Students

    Make sure you look at the hospital's social media protocol. There are a lot of things they can fire for or get students expelled for. We just fired someone from our unit for posting about something...
  5. NicuGal

    Cooling

    NicuGal replied to Jtsqueek's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Ours too....it takes one to work on the baby and one to document it seems lol We just had one crash big time while warming...scary stuff! Could not get his labs to even out and then just seized and...
  6. NicuGal

    Is it made of acid? Fire? Cactus stickers?

    NicuGal replied to Bortaz's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Lol...I always tell parents...they act like we are doing the worst thing ever to them
  7. NicuGal

    Quitting during Orientation!!?? Help!!

    NicuGal replied to Roskarin's topic in Nursing Career

    We would not continue to orient you, we would have you quit immediately. What do you want to move into in the future? If you think med-surg will help, I'd go, but is it in the same hospital? If it...
  8. NicuGal

    Cooling

    NicuGal replied to Jtsqueek's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    In addition to the above, you have to have access to a good pharmacist since their fluids change frequently due to glucose and electrolyte imbalances. We make these kiddos 2:1 for the initial cooling...
  9. NicuGal

    Vaccinations in the NICU

    NicuGal replied to Humbled_Nurse's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We do use an RSV vaccine here. We used to give the immunoglobulin, but that required an infusion over several hours in an outpatient setting once a month. I have to beg to differ, but 27 years of...
  10. NicuGal

    Charge Nurse

    NicuGal replied to 2bTraumaRN2008's topic in General Nursing

    We have one permanent charge person on each shift. They work 4-5 days a week. They usually don't carry a patient load. Some days when we have 50 kids and the lid is blowing off everything, 2 charge...
  11. NicuGal

    Shift-to-shift report in front of patient and family

    NicuGal replied to Piglet08's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    We give report in front of families BUT if there is something we need to say that we don't want them to hear or we feel is too sensitive for other family members to hear, we do it in the hall. Joint...
  12. NicuGal

    Do I need my license to take NRP and ACLS?

    NicuGal replied to kmount's topic in General Nursing

    Your new job should be having you go to NRP as part of your orientation
  13. NicuGal

    Do I need my license to take NRP and ACLS?

    NicuGal replied to kmount's topic in General Nursing

    Yes, you have to for
  14. NicuGal

    24 hour visiting

    NicuGal replied to ICU4U's topic in Critical Care

    Now it is all about Family Center Care...Joint Commission wants family involvement and input
  15. NicuGal

    3 Day Orientation to NICU??

    NicuGal replied to oregonnurse2007's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Unfortunately, since you are already employed at the hospital, they will not pay for a full orientation. I have been thru this when I was in management. I would talk to her and tell her you aren't...
  16. NicuGal

    HIPAA Question or ethics issue?

    NicuGal replied to somedaypeds's topic in HIPAA Challenges

    We actually asked our legal department about this since we have a lot of kids with blogs on the Caring Bridge. We can read them, but we are not to write on them. But....we have had several parents...
  17. NicuGal

    Nursing school at age 50

    NicuGal replied to maddy50's topic in General Students

    I say kudos to all of you that are doing this when you are in your 40's and 50's! I will be ready to retire when I am 51 and putting 30 years in has been hard on me and I was 21 when I started! Good...
  18. NicuGal

    When do you do your charting?

    NicuGal replied to Nurse ABC's topic in General Nursing

    We have everything on the computer so we chart as we do things. The only thing we leave for sit down are
  19. NicuGal

    Vaccinations in the NICU

    NicuGal replied to Humbled_Nurse's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Our guidelines are the kids need to be at least 1500gms and 2 months old to start vaccines. There is a lot of different opinions on this. If they are a chronic sick kid, we hold off. The one the...
  20. NicuGal

    Nursing Dissatisfaction

    NicuGal replied to quiltr's topic in General Nursing

    We have been doing this for several years now. When we get a float, we re-evaluate every 4 hours, if their home base needs them back we send them back and vice-versa. Same for cancelling for low...
  21. NicuGal

    Advice needed about clinical instructor

    NicuGal replied to RNbethy's topic in Nursing Student Assistance

    If you are going to do a preceptorship in an ICU, get used to someone hovering and talking your way thru things. Sometimes you have to go with the flow. Also, if you are sending out the vibe that...
  22. NicuGal

    Abdominal Girths

    NicuGal replied to LuvaBSNRN's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We still do...we watch the trend over our shift. It may only mean they need to take a poop, but when it goes way up, then that is pretty indicitive of something. It is written in our routine care...
  23. NicuGal

    Not even a word of English

    NicuGal replied to MomRN0913's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Drives me up the wall when we have parents who are in their 20's, who have lived here there whole life and they claim they can't speak English...really? We have a translator phone service we use. We...
  24. NicuGal

    Central line BSI prevention

    NicuGal replied to seamel's topic in PICU, Pediatric

    We do a lot of the same, as does our PICU. You can use CHG on kids under 2 months as long as they have intact skin and you wipe it off after the appopriate dry time with a sterile saline wipe. We...
  25. NicuGal

    RAM Cannula

    NicuGal replied to juliachloe's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    The babes are so much more comfortable on the RAM,even the full termers since it fits just like a NC. It works like the other ones, and we don't seem to need chin straps like with the traditional CPAP...