Comments about the NICU

[angrykitten]

I'm a new grad just starting in the NICU (yay!) and have an issue. When I tell people where I work, there are two types of responses: I just cuddle babies all day or I am surrounded by dying babies all day. I want people to understand the unit and my job, but is it really worth trying to explain that yes, I do sometimes get to cuddle babies and rarely a baby dies, but neither of those things defines my job. What do you guys say?

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

There is a similar thread over on the peds forum right now. Bottom line is the general public is very naive about much of what goes on in the hospital and when they hear you work with children they seem to get preconceived notions which are generally not true. If these comments are just from random strangers, I wouldn't bother correcting them, but if these comments are from family or close friends, you could try to better explain to them a "typical day" in the NICU.

[staycalm]

agree. It's just one of those things. Generally people don't understand unless they've worked in one or have been a NICU parent. I have friends from nursing school that don't understand fully what I do. Oh well. I do notice there seems to be a universal respect, even from those that don't "get" it.

[rnblack4]

If these comments are just from random I wouldn't bother correcting them, but if these comments are from family or close friends, you could try to better explain to them a "typical day" in the NICU.[/quote']

What is the typical night in the NICU? What's a horrible night? I'm very interested in applying for a NICU position at my hospital, but scared of the unknown. I got into nursing with the goal of being a NICU nurse, but the only exposure I have is being a NICU baby. And I don't remember much of that. ?

My goal is because of those NICU nurses I wouldn't be doing as well as I am today, I probably wouldn't even be alive. I want to experience that. To pay it forward.