Sweeper933

NICU

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All Content by Sweeper933

  1. Sweeper933

    Agencies in Chicago area

    Sweeper933 posted a topic in Illinois Nursing

    I was wondering if any of you know some good nursing agencies in the Chicago area. I'm a NICU nurse, and our census has been dangerously low for months now. We are being downstaffed like crazy - as we...
  2. Sweeper933

    Problems with blood bank

    Sweeper933 posted a topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Is anybody else having this issue in their hospital??? We use irradiated blood when we give transfusions to our babies (as do other areas of the hospital - like for chemo patients and other stuff...)...
  3. Sweeper933

    OG /NG Tube Placement

    Sweeper933 replied to THB4471's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Auscultation / aspiration upon insertion, and before each feed/med. X-Ray only if it's an NJ/ND. We also chart with each VS what cm the tube is at at the nares /
  4. Sweeper933

    Transduce or not transduce?

    Sweeper933 replied to kalamazoo's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I also agree with the previous posters. Sometimes the first sign that the line is going bad is that the waveform stops
  5. Sweeper933

    Formula / Breast Milk Fortification and Protein Supplements

    Sweeper933 posted a topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I was wondering how you all handle the fortification process in your units. Do you have a seperate room / area in the unit to do it all in? Do you use HMF? Formula? A combination of the 2 when the...
  6. Sweeper933

    NICU NURSES....labeling breast milk???

    Sweeper933 replied to schoolnurseadmin's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We also double check the label with another RN. We bring the second RN to the baby's bedside, and check the breast milk label against the bedside card, using name and dob. We add the patient ID if...
  7. Sweeper933

    Measuring urine output

    Sweeper933 replied to 3yrDiploma's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We will use a 5fr feeding tube as a catheter on our babies. Works pretty well. But we have to make sure to use the old style ones - the ones that connect to both feeding tubes and IV syringes, not our...
  8. Sweeper933

    Measuring urine output

    Sweeper933 replied to 3yrDiploma's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    How do you deal with skin integrity and all of that stuff on kids with long term IVs...??? I can't imagine having to put a bag on a kid for more than a few times in a row, let along days /
  9. Sweeper933

    NICU RNC

    Sweeper933 replied to BabyLady's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    http://www.amazon.com/Certification-Review-Neonatal-Intensive-Nursing/dp/1416036679/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252801839&sr=1-1 That's the book we all used on my unit. Although, a...
  10. Sweeper933

    busy or slow

    Sweeper933 replied to nicu4me's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Evidently the fun on my unit is continuing. I just got a call from one of the managers to see if I could come in to work tonight at 11pm. Evidently in the last 18 or so hours, they've gotten 35 wk...
  11. Sweeper933

    busy or slow

    Sweeper933 replied to nicu4me's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    This whole week we've gotten nothing but sick term kids. Which is always a nice surprise addition to the census. At least with the preterms, you have somewhat of a warning as to their admission. And...
  12. Sweeper933

    busy or slow

    Sweeper933 replied to nicu4me's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We (finally) slowed back down to normal after being crazy/busy all year. Our census is back to normal, but our acuity is still really high. A few really sick kids and a few really time-intensive...
  13. Sweeper933

    Measuring urine output

    Sweeper933 replied to 3yrDiploma's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We weigh the diapers if they are on IV fluids, on oxygen, under phototherapy, or on diuretics. Otherwise we just do diaper
  14. Sweeper933

    Family Support Person

    Sweeper933 replied to lmwnnicurn's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We have several social workers that just deal with our Moms / families. If Mom is inpatient on antepartum, then they get hooked up with them at that point as
  15. Sweeper933

    full assessments vs. monitor vitals

    Sweeper933 replied to nicu4me's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Even when it's an "off" time (non feeding or vitals) we still chart a lot of stuff each hour - bed temps, hr, resp rate, O2, IV status.... And for the first hour of our shift, we always chart their...
  16. Sweeper933

    Stoma trouble

    Sweeper933 replied to Jaiden's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    The wafer is the donut shaped piece of duoderm that gets cut out to go between the skin and the bag. It gives the bag something better than just skin to stick on to. It also helps protect the skin...
  17. Sweeper933

    Stoma trouble

    Sweeper933 replied to Jaiden's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Have you tried using stoma paste? It's used to fill in the gaps between the wafer and the bag. Works well when you have a tight area to work in and it's hard to get a good seal between the wafer and...
  18. Sweeper933

    NICU- how much math?

    Sweeper933 replied to dfike's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    All this math talk makes me really glad that we have our own NICU nutritionist with us during rounds every day! They are the ones who keep watchful eyes on all of the kcal/kg/day according to the...
  19. Sweeper933

    "Never trust a 35 weeker"

    Sweeper933 replied to prmenrs's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    And it continues... 35 4/7 twin girls, born right at 2000 when I walk in the door. I get twin B - who is a champ. Sugars a fine, temps are great, eating 15-20cc q3h PO, planning on sending her up to...
  20. Sweeper933

    full assessments vs. monitor vitals

    Sweeper933 replied to nicu4me's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Well we never make q4 vitals due at 7-11-3... because then it would always be due during shift change - no matter if it were a 8 or 12 (or 4) hour shift. Because of this - vitals are never more than 3...
  21. Sweeper933

    full assessments vs. monitor vitals

    Sweeper933 replied to nicu4me's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Most of our babies get hands on vitals every 6 hours. Either 8-2, 9-, or 10-4 depending on what their q3 eating schedule is. When they're unstable (on HFOV), they get hands on vitals every 4 hours....
  22. Sweeper933

    Monitoring system

    Sweeper933 replied to cymruusa's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We (finally!!!) have the Philips monitors. Touch screen functions are nice. As previous poster mentioned, it can be a process to view more than one baby at a time on a monitor. However - the layout of...
  23. Sweeper933

    FOOTPRINTS

    Sweeper933 replied to NANSNURSE's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We do footprints at admission / as soon as the baby is stable enough / has no IVs on their foot. As far as getting the ink off - we have found that the hospital lotion works extremely well! Just put a...
  24. Sweeper933

    Your NICU design - love it or hate it?

    Sweeper933 replied to cymruusa's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I can't imagine not having windows!! Anyway - I like the design of our unit. We have 7 big rooms, each being able to hold 4-9 babies. Your assignment is always all in the same room, so you can see...
  25. Sweeper933

    New PDA Treatment Recommendations??

    Sweeper933 replied to lvnurs9's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    We also only treat when they're symptomatic. If they're able to get Indocin, they get that, along with fluid restriction (usually at 80/kg/d). If not / if Indocin doesn't work, we'll ligate if they're...