Hi everyone, I just started a new job in a NICU and find this NICU very different from the other 4 I have worked in. I just want to cover some things I see in this unit and then you tell me what your unit does for comparison sakes.
This unit does not have regular pacifiers for the babies. Instead, they take bottle nipples, stuff them with gauze and then tape them to a rolled up baby shirt that is also taped up. Are there any other units out there that don't offer pacifiers?
The unit is so worried about saving money they want us to share formula. I have never heard of this and it bothers me that the bottle says to discard after 1 hour and this unit thinks it is okay to have it sit out for hours and hours at room temperature.
All babies on oxygen here have the high alarm limits set at 100%. I though the new standard was to have limits set somewhere in the mid 90s. Also, nurses aren't allowed to adjust the 02 without a doctor's order.
Here they do narrative charting plus the check box charting. The narrative is really redundant and they want you to re write everything every 3 hours.
TPN tubing is changed daily here. Everywhere else I've worked it is q 3 days.
Nurse here don't answer alarms (rarely) since it is so hard to determine who is alarming. Most of the monitors (Drager brand) are flashing when I look around the room and it is even hard for me to determine who to save.
No accurate diaper scales. Here they have to put diapers on a regular baby scale so it rounds to either 5, 10, 15, 20, etc.
Hand written MAR. Handwriting is hard to read sometimes so I would think this would be a big no no. Anyone else doing this?
No developmental Snuggle Ups, gel pillows, Bendy Bumpers, etc. Any other units out there without these?
Lights on bright at all times. Any other units out there refuse to dim lights at night?
During report time most nurses are always late so the rule is to have whatever nurse who gets there first to get report on ALL babies so they can relieve you. I am just used to giving report only to the nurse who has my patients.
OG tubes only here. Guess I am just used to NG tubes!
Blue dye on umbilicus. Thought this was a bit outdated.
That is all I can think of for now. Please compare and let me know what your unit does.
The unit I'm in still uses triple dye. Most of the kidos that have it are from post partum or L&D. We don't put a lot of it on ours. I think in the year and a half I have been here, I have put it on once.
At the risk of sounding stupid. What are the studies saying about the Triple dye/alcohol?
Something about how it takes longer for the vessels to close down and doesn't really help with infection rates. In our NICU, we leave the umbilical cord (unless having a UAC or UVC) strictly alone and will dab it with warm sterile water if anything.
I'm in Oklahoma, we still use triple dye and some nurses alcohol the cords with every diaper change. A nurse that transferred to our hospital from NW told me that some things that we do were 20 years behind the times.
babyNP., APRN
1,923 Posts
Something about how it takes longer for the vessels to close down and doesn't really help with infection rates. In our NICU, we leave the umbilical cord (unless having a UAC or UVC) strictly alone and will dab it with warm sterile water if anything.