Originally Posted by BiologyNerd
I want to go into nursing to go into the NICU, no doubt about it. Now, here are the many questions:
How difficult is it to get a NICU RN position?
What is your shift like/entail? (I know this changes drastically)
How long was your orientation?
How difficult is it to learn the NICU?
I obviously know NOTHING about nursing...I start college this Fall. I hope to work at the NICU that helped me survive....and work under the neonatologist that delivered me.
Yet, here's another issue: after college, should I get an apartment an hour away from my mom to be close to the hospital, or should I commute one hour each way twice a day?
I got my position in NICU right out of school. I work in a large university hospital, in a level III NICU (the highest level is III, the lowest I). Getting a position really depends on the hospital, and what is available. NICUs definitely hire new grads, it just depends on what hospitals you apply to. Getting into a summer externship might help, usually that is done the summer between junior and senior year. Working as a nurses aide or unit clerk might help to get your foot in the door as well. We hire nursing students as aides here, with the idea that they can become an RN on the unit once they graduate if a position is available. We have a few nurses who went that route, and we have a nurse who was a unit clerk while in school. We also have a few nurses who did an extern program.
My shift is a 12 hour night shift. I work from 7p-7a. Obviously I am taking care of babies, either premature or sick full-term babies. Depending on how critical the babies are depends on how many patients I take care of. It can be 1 or up to 4. Of course, that also depends on staffing as well. Sometimes the babies are on a ventilator, sometimes they are being fed via an NG tube, sometimes they are just starting to learn how to eat from a bottle. Sometimes they have an IV or a central line. Sometimes I have a baby that is post-op. Sometimes I am an admission nurse, which means if the delivery room calls the NICU team for a high-risk delivery, I go over there with a doctor or a nurse practicioner. Also, sometimes I am in charge or on transport. I love transport, it means I go out to other hospitals on the ambulance to pick up a baby. If you read some of the posts on this board you will read about different experiences we have as NICU nurses.
My orientation was 12 weeks of clinical (on the unit, hands-on), and 2 weeks of classes. A good orientation should be at least that. For the first year I worked, I was assigned a "resource" person. That person was usually the charge nurse or another experienced nurse. He or she was to be available to me for questions I had, to check medications with me, and to go to the DR if I was on admit.
I am constantly learning in the NICU, and expect to always be. The day that I think I know everything is the day that I'm going to make a big mistake. There is ALWAYS something new to read or look up, or even just refresh my memory. I love reading about neonatalogy though.
About your living situation, it's really up to you. I became a nurse at 21, and was still living at home. My commute was about 45 minutes each way. I now live about 15 minutes away, and I cannot believe what a difference it makes. It sure was nice living at home and not paying rent though!
Best of luck to you in nursing school!
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