Well Baby Nursery

BabyRN2Be · Jun 30, 2005

I'm sorry, it's late at night and I've posted this in the wrong spot.

vegnurse21 · Jul 4, 2005

There are NO well baby nurses here? Geez.

Fiona59 · Jul 4, 2005

I've always worked in hospitals where the babes are roomed in with the Mum. All that was done in the nursery was initial physical assessment and bath. The nursery was only "staffed" when babies were under the bili lights or having a car seat study done. The rest of the time, the "nursery nurse" carried a patient assignment like the rest of us. Five mums with their babies. The nursery was only staffed as a position if we had a number of babies under lights, and social service cases involved with removal of the baby from the mother.

So basically, it was a post partum/maternity nurses job.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Jul 4, 2005

Perhaps you can try the OB/GYN midwifery board, I think most of the nurses posting here work level II and III NICU's. Sorry, my only experience was one shift when I got pulled to well-baby nursery.

Edited to add:

What I learned about our well baby nursery (kinda large hospital, 600+ beds) is that it there is not regularly an RN assigned to watch the nursery, often just a tech "baby-sits" since most of the infants "room-in" with their mothers. We are starting an obs nursery that will be staffed by RN's but it's objective is to "OBS" infants having trouble transitioning who may need transfer to NICU (currently we OBS in the NICU). The mom/baby nurse will use the nursery area to do procedures like baths, state screens and assist with circs, but she is also assigned to the mom, they do couplet care.

palesarah · Jul 4, 2005

There are NO well baby nurses here? Geez.

Staffed well baby nurseries are pretty uncommon in most hospitals now from what I understand, as most hospitals practice couplet care and encourage babies to room in with mom. Newborn assessments, baths etc are all done by the mom's bedside in many hospitals, including mine- I work on an LDRP floor with a Level 2 nursery. Babies only go to our nursery if they are unstable/premature/need additional monitoring. Sorry I can't help you more.

vegnurse21 · Jul 4, 2005

Wow, that's weird. In the hospital I work at right now, the babies are usually in the nursery. Well, the nurses have to do an assessment once per shift and restock the cribs and whatnot. Then a lot of times the moms will bring the babies in the nursery so that they can get some sleep.

That's really strange though. Thanks anyways though guys!

camay1221_RN · Jul 5, 2005

Wow, that's weird. In the hospital I work at right now, the babies are usually in the nursery. Well, the nurses have to do an assessment once per shift and restock the cribs and whatnot. Then a lot of times the moms will bring the babies in the nursery so that they can get some sleep.
That's really strange though. Thanks anyways though guys!

The 'Baby Friendly' initiative encourages mothers to keep the babies in the rooms with them the entire time of their postpartum stay. The hospital I previously worked for had a newborn nursery, but once it started the baby friendly initiative, it did away with the newborn nursery. They did have a 'holding area' for babies if a mom was having difficulties. The hospital I currently work for has a nursery, however, it is only staffed when we have Level II babies, any other time, babes are in the room with mom.

pickledpepperRN · Jul 5, 2005

I'm an adult nurse so am quite ignorant. If you are assigned five couplets that is ten patients, right?

What about the Mom who had a C-section" Is on PCA or other meds that cause drowsiness"

Who watches the baby when Mom is in the shower? The bathroom?

What about those needing OBS (observation?)

Did you ever have to sesucitate a baby you thought was fine? (That happened to a good friend who is not a nurse.)

baby&mommynurse · Jul 5, 2005

Well baby nurseries are less common now, but do still exist in some hospitals. I work in a well newborn nursery, but we're trying to make the transition to mother/baby couplet care. There are various reasons why we aren't already. For the most part, we are a very busy hospital. We have approximately 600 deliveries a month. Although we are a hospital that encourages mother to keep her baby with her for bonding and breastfeeding, there are always moms who request their baby to go back to the nursery for some reason. Other times, we have a baby who needs to be monitored, but isn't sick enough to be in the NICU and has to stay in the nursery. We also have semi-private rooms that are big enough for two adult patients, but not quite big enough to have two couplets in there ALL the time, so remodeling is in the plans. Another reason is all our nursery nurses also work post partum, but not all our post partum/OB Gyn nurses have been trained to work nursery. We are currently cross training those nurses to also take care of the baby. For now, we continue to have a separate well baby nursery. Some people may disapprove, but it works for us.

mstigerlily · Jul 5, 2005

Our hospital has a well baby nursery that is staffed 24/7. There is a nurse assigned there, she can watch up to 8 babies. She is responsible for initial assessment for all c-section babies. The L&D nurses do the vag deliveries, our nursery nurse (postpartum unit) does the c-section initial assessment, vitals & bath till baby is determined to be stable, then returned to mom. Because c-section babies sometimes have more trouble (spitty, etc) and c-section moms are often vomiting or not feeling well, the babies tend to stay awhile, often all night if it's late and mom has been up for awhile. The initial assessment includes the vit K shot, bath, weight, antibiotic ointment, monitoring temp in warmer, observation.

The nursery nurse also takes care of babies in this order (up to the 8 patients) 1) fresh c-section babies 2) sick babies or babies that need monitoring. If they need antibiotics, IVs, 1/1 care, they go across the hall to the NICU. 3) babies getting phototherapy 4) babies who are there because mom is resting.

The also assist docs with circumcisions, do regular vitals on babies in their care, daily weights, hearing tests.

We are in a very ritzy area and it's not uncommon for moms who are 2nd day uncomplicated vag deliveries to dismiss babies with a wave of the hand, "Send them to the nursery. Oh - and change that poopy diaper. You can give a bottle, I don't want to be bothered. Wake me up in the morning. Bye" :uhoh3: I always ENJOY telling these moms, "SORRY - our nursery is full, we have a twin c-section coming!" You'll have to take care of your own healthy baby. I actually had a lady ask me last night what she would do when she got home and baby wouldn't quit crying because she "didn't have a nursery at home"!!! LOL!!! If you are in a hospital that has a staffed well baby nursery you are going to have high maintenance parents like this. Get used to hovering dads with camcorders asking you a million questions while you are trying to listen to heart tones or give a bath to slippery baby!

Melissa

I am a nursing student with one year left of school. So far, we have only had med-surg rotations, so I haven't gotten much experience in specialty settings, but I know that med-surg is not for me. I am a PCA (CNA, whatever lol) and they have sent me down to the nursery on several occasions and I absolutely love it.
SO, I have decided (for now at least) that well baby nursery is what I'd like to start out in. I wish there was a general nursery forum, but I just thought this would be the next best place to post this! Anyways, as a PCA in the nursery I really didn't do very much with the babies of course. I gave a few their first baths and took temps and whatnot. But I really fell in love with it.
I really think I'd like to work my way up to NICU, but I want to get all my skills down with well babies first. Plus, the hospital I will probably end up at doesn't have a NICU, so the special babies are put in with the well babies...so that'll give me a lot more NICU experience.
So what does an RN in the nursery do? Well...okay, I know what they do. But can someone take me through a day step by step? I know that not all days are the same...but generally what I'd be doing? I know you do the assessments (which consist of...?) on all the babies you're assigned and assess the brand new babies, but what else?
I plan on getting some books that are listed in the sticky to be informed once I begin my job.
Anyways, help! NICU nurses, feel free to go through YOUR day as well! :)

mstigerlily · Jul 5, 2005

We are allowed a max of four couplets (8 pts), but often I don't ahve the full load. We also take gyn patients and they obviously don't have babies. The full 8 pts can be tough.

We do have a nursery staffed 24/7 in our hospital and it's very nice.

Melissa

I'm an adult nurse so am quite ignorant. If you are assigned five couplets that is ten patients, right?
What about the Mom who had a C-section" Is on PCA or other meds that cause drowsiness"
Who watches the baby when Mom is in the shower? The bathroom?
What about those needing OBS (observation?)
Did you ever have to sesucitate a baby you thought was fine? (That happened to a good friend who is not a nurse.)