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Keywords

Newborn Screening, Mother Baby Unit

Disciplines

Nursing

Description

Newborn Screening (NBS) is a public health program required by Michigan law to detect babies with rare but serious disorders that require early treatment. All babies should be tested to find the small number who look healthy but have a rare medical condition. The newborn screen is recommended to be drawn within 24-36 hours after birth, preferably within 24-30 hours of life.

At William Beaumont University Hospital, lab has a six-hour window to obtain a lab once the order is placed. Previously, the clinical assistant (CA) on the Mother Baby Unit (MBU) would enter the NBS order to be drawn when the baby was transferred from Labor and Delivery. The CA would adjust the timing of the lab draw to 24 hours of life. This allowed the NBS to be drawn within the preferred 24-30 hours after birth. The process was changed in the fall of 2023, requiring the registered nurse (RN) to input the order for the NBS. The RNs were not adjusting the timing of the lab draw when entered, and NBS were either not being drawn or missed the 24–36-hour timeframe. The window to obtain the NBS is critical to obtaining results as quick as possible.

Publication Date

5-6-2024

Comments

Nurses Week at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, May 6-12, 2024.

Timing is Everything! Ordering Newborn Screens Within the Correct Timeframe

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