Jayme Pakalnis

9/11/18
Mrs. Odom
NICU

In this clinical experience at the NICU, I was introduced to a variety of

neonates who were suffering from complications post partum. There were
complications such as apnea, respiratory distress, hypothermia, feeding difficulties,
hemorrhage, anemia, jaundice, and many others. It becomes extremely important as
a NICU nurse to help the neonate thrive to a place where they are maturing and
stand in good health. I was introduced to a preterm baby who was suffering from
hypothermia and other complications. The NICU nurse in charge of this neonate had
to care for him by keeping his body at a core internal temperature
(thermoregulation.) Premature babies lose their body heat very rapidly from not
having the stored body fat a full-term infant would have which makes them lack
heat. Hypothermia can also lead to irregular breathing and low blood sugars, which
was also apart of this baby’s medical diagnosis. To help control temperature, this
baby was placed in an isolette. The isolette’s role is to help a premature infant with a
low body temperature stay at a regulated temperature so the hypothermia will
resolve. It is important for a premature neonate to have optimal nutrition for their
overall health. The neonate I was helping out with also had low blood sugars. The
low blood sugar was caused from being born prematurely and not having enough
glucose stored for energy to function outside the womb. The proper treatment
given to the neonate in order to help control his blood sugars was Dextrose 10%
NaCl 2.% that was given intravenously. The neonate also suffered from respiratory
distress as soon as delivered. He was receiving oxygen via NIV NAVA that is a
ventilator to help optimize his breathing level. The role of the NICU nurse is to take
part in the treatment plan and to carry out all the tasks associated with the neonate
for maturing. A neonate requires much more attention than the average full-term
infant. One complication can lead to another and if not controlled properly can lead
to death. The neonate cared for had respiratory distress, hypothermia, and
hypoglycemia, which all correlated together and interconnected into the neonate’s
poor development. The neonate relies solely on the NICU nurse for all life-sustaining
care. These roles range from providing nutrient, maintaining breathing, assessing
vital signs, administering medications/treatments, controlling temperature, and
many other duties not listed. I really enjoyed this clinical setting and learned a lot
about neonate complications and the nurses important duty. It was amazing to see
the impact the nurse can make on the neonate but also the family members. The
NICU nurse is very dedicated to caring for all the neonates on the unit and ensuring
they are doing their part in caring for them. This would be a career path I could
potentially see myself working in as a nurse. It takes a very special person and nurse
to be in the NICU setting.