Best units to work on before switching to NICU?

[cannb]

I am currently in nursing school, I graduate in May 2015. NICU is the area that I want to work in when I graduate, but I know that it can be very difficult to get in as a new grad. I was wondering what other areas would be the best to start in before switching to the NICU once I have more experience? Mother/Baby, PICU, any peds, etc? Hopefully I will be an extern in a NICU, or at least a pediatric area, over the summer (I hear back in the next week or two). I also work as a tech at a hospital that has a level III NICU, so I will be trying to get into there when I graduate and hopefully with the little bit of experience I will have it will be enough. If not, I want to be prepared to fight for the next best thing to get me there eventually!

[KRVRN, BSN, RN]

Mother-baby

[lmac0202]

I worked for two years in the level two nursery before moving into the "ICU" side of the NICU. I found it very helpful to learn about healthy babies; and learn a good physical assessment base before only working with sick and "abnormal" assessments. Now I have more of an ability to spot something that is "not right"... Put the horse before the cart... or something like that.. haha.. Good luck!