BrandNewBabyNurse

BrandNewBabyNurse

NICU

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All Content by BrandNewBabyNurse

  1. NICU visitation policies needed

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to anicu's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    NICU level: IV private patient rooms: 85 number at bedside: technically 4, but up to nurse to enforce. who can visit: parents/grandparents/siblings, friends with parents or alone if on "allowed"...

  2. Vitals Check for pts. on Respiratory Support

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to JThieman's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Up until about 3 months ago, we charted hourly vitals on every patient except those in our separate step-down unit. Now we chart hourly vitals on all patients who are on more than low-flow NC, but...

  3. NICU Cribs/Beds

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to nickirnak's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Haha well I should've clarified further. We only keep the rails flush if the kid is nested and (usually) sedated. When we have a really big kid, like 6 mos- 1 yr, who is maybe alert and more...

  4. Nursery/NICU linen changes

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to first123's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We do 3X weekly and then obviously PRN as well. I'd say it probably works out to almost every day with all of the PRN

  5. NICU Cribs/Beds

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to nickirnak's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We put our low acuity, temp-stable, kids into those cribs in the first post as soon as they're ready, but the ones we have are too small for our bigger kiddos. We put our large/chronic sick kids...

  6. How Soon to Start?

    BrandNewBabyNurse posted a topic in Travel

    Hi AN friends! I'm really thinking about starting a travel stint next spring - probably looking at doing 3 assignments between spring 2018 and early 2019. It's such a tough choice because I really...

  7. Do you have a free charge nurse on your unit?

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to EllaBella1's topic in General Nursing

    I work in a very large children's hospital NICU. We have 2 charge nurses and 2 resource nurses per shift, and none of them ever take patients. I've seen the second charge admit a couple times while we...

  8. IV securement

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to ScammRNC's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We use infant IV Tegaderms plus a little clear tape if needed. Usually with a Posey around an arm/foot board, or a piece of gauze underneath if it's a scalp

  9. How is everyone's first year going?

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to Purple_roses's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I'm quickly approaching my one year mark in a large Neonatal ICU, and I have to say, this last month has been one of my hardest yet. I'm definitely through the honeymoon phase, and I'm not sure I...

  10. What's your experience in a level 2 NICU/ step down ?

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to grobertson10's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I work in a large Level IV NICU that has an attached "step down" or Level II-esque unit also. It's definitely busy in that you have 3-4 babies who need to be changed, fed, assessed, given oral meds,...

  11. Level 2 Ratios

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to jennylee321's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I work in a very large level IV unit that has a semi-separate level II area. It generally has a group of devotees who mainly staff it, but anyone is fair game to get sent over there if need be. It's...

  12. NICU New Grad

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to danceluver's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    As much as I dislike night shift, I would WAY rather work all nights than be on a rotating day/night schedule. At least with clustering my 3 shifts a week I can power through and then spend the other...

  13. NICU New Grad

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to danceluver's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Where I work, all new grads are oriented on days and then switch to nights until you have enough seniority to come back to days. The reason we orient on days is because of the number of planned...

  14. Central lines and CLABSI

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to johnsonmich990's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Several years ago our unit set out to really attack infection risks in our micro population, and it was found that doing a full sterile tubing change Q24 lowered our infection rates in the teeny...

  15. Central lines and CLABSI

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to johnsonmich990's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We also do 24h change out for IL and med infusions, the 72h is for continuous fluids. A new bag is clean spiked every 24h though, and then the full sterile line change is q72. Also forgot to mention...

  16. Seething over Failed 'Birth Plans'

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to adventure_rn's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Oh man, I don't have any advice, but I certainly feel ya! Living in a part of the country with a decent sized "crunchy" population, we see our fair share of home birth gone wrong kiddos. I really am...

  17. Central lines and CLABSI

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to johnsonmich990's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We have a lengthy 2-RN sterile line change procedure that we implement when we do a full change out every 72 hours, or whenever setting up a new central line. We also do a full line change every 24...

  18. Baby positioning. What do you use?

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to Lyuba's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We use Z-flows in all sorts of sizes, but that's really it! We have disposable cuddle-ups, and I've never seen those bendy bumpers or frogs that some of the other posters shared. Usually we just hand...

  19. Hemodialysis in the NICU

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to BrandNewBabyNurse's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    The diagnosis just after birth was originally thought to be Potters, but that was later deemed incorrect. It is now diagnosed as renal tubular dysgenesis, which to my understanding is a component of...

  20. Hemodialysis in the NICU

    BrandNewBabyNurse posted a topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Hey everyone, I work in a Level IV NICU and we've run into an issue that's all uncharted waters for us. We have a 2 month old patient who was born with nonfunctional hypoplastic kidneys. We tried to...

  21. Hemodialysis in the NICU

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to BrandNewBabyNurse's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I agree, it would be better to treat her less like a neonate and more like a peds patient! But our NICU keeps babies up to one year of age...it's believed that they get better developmental care...

  22. Hemodialysis in the NICU

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to BrandNewBabyNurse's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    So the sedation idea has been a tricky concept for us. I was all in favor of it, but the peds dialysis team is against using pain meds or sedation for children too young to talk. Apparently...

  23. Hemodialysis in the NICU

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to BrandNewBabyNurse's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Thank you, definitely a good idea. I'll reach out to some of the peds people at work and see if they have any

  24. Hemodialysis in the NICU

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to BrandNewBabyNurse's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We have discussed putting her on CRRT on our unit, but the provider team is really not wanting to do it, I think in part because of her tiny size. For both hemo and CRRT a specially trained peds...

  25. CNA's in a NICU setting

    BrandNewBabyNurse replied to milliemack15's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    The NICU I work in is quite large at about 92 beds, and we have about 45 RNs and 2/3 CNAs per shift. Our CNAs are only utilized in our step-down unit, and assist with diaper changing, bottle feeds,...