Are parents allowed to use phones at the bedside? Is there any limitation to how the phone can be used?
2 Comments - I work in an open unit, and we allow parents to use their phones for taking pictures, texting, etc., but they have to step out if they are talking on the phone. They are not allowed to hold the phone while holding because of the infection risk
Are parents allowed to use cell phones at the bedside? If no, why?
4 Comments - We also discourage use of cell phones in the NICU. We have a sign at the entry scrub sink to notify parents about the rule and why it is in place
Hello, I am looking to see if anyone would share their protocols/guidelines for bubble CPAP, interested in the devices and cannulas used to provide Bubble CPAP ??? How long do ELBW infants stay on Bubble CPAP and what protocol /procedures are used for discontinuing ??? Thanks so much for your help
1 Comment - Hi Joan, We keep our babies on bubble CPAP at least until 32 weeks, even if they had been at 21% and at +5 or +4 of PEEP for days or weeks
Our Level 3 NICU has recently been recieving our post op patients back into our units with epidurals in place for pain management. Because the RNs do not have a protocol for managing the epidural (operating the pump or changing out the medication bags etc), the anesthesiologist changes out the bags and changes the bags. They would like the RNs to take over this responsibilities. Do any other NICUs have any policies, procedures, our guidelines for RNs? We would appreciate any input
1 Comment - I have a quick reference I developed along with our anesthesia department, including references (limited). Email me directly at diane.cody@baystatehealth.org
I was hoping to hear what some of the NICU practices are with babies that have been discharged and need to be readmitted. Do you readmit to the NICU? If you have an open NICU how do you decrease the risk of exposure to the other babies? Do you have a guideline of the max age you would bring back to the NICU? If they are readmitted to the Peds division do you place the Neonatologist on consult? Sorry for all of the questions
2 Comments - We readmit to our single-room NICU, but only up to 28 days of age. Otherwise the readmitted baby would have to go to the pediatric unit and be under the peds hospitalist's care. We only swab for MRSA when receiving a baby from another facility
Hi, I am interested to hear from other units regarding practices of the use of mother's milk with known substance use. 1. Do other units allow the use of mother's milk/breastfeeding with known use marijuana?
3 Comments - We do not allow the use of breast milk in moms with + UDS...We do not allow mothers to breast feed that have positive uds unless they have a prescription for the drug that is positive
I was wondering what protocols other institutions have regarding the frequency of hands on assessments of our ELBW infants?
We at The Medical University of South Carolina are looking at possibly changing our practice and were curious what other units were doing
3 Comments - The patient will than follo up in our high risk clinic in 28 days for the next shot
We are looking to revise our current practices related to oral/ETT care and VAP protocol. We would like to see what others are doing that has worked for your unit and helped to decrease VAP