New Grad given choice of L/D or NICU

fergus51 · Oct 1, 2004

I went to L&D as a new grad and have sinced moved to the NICU. I think that was a good path for me. I don't think I would have been as comfortable dealing with the NICU without some experience in L&D. It gave me a good baseline for baby assessments, NRP, and an understanding of how the family's story begins. I also liked that L&D had a mix of happy and sad, so it wasn't as intense emotionally for me at a time when I was already pretty uptight (like most new grads:)). That said, I work with new grads in the NICU who do well, it just wasn't for me as a new nurse. I also think you would be able to move from one area to the other easily, so it should be more of a gut decision. Can I ask if you have toured the units? Often speaking with people in the unit will give you a feel for the place.

jenjo29 · Oct 1, 2004

I have toured the units. The level III NICU (40 beds) is very impressive. The nurse manager and nurse educator gave me a tour and introduction to the program. I was blown away by their sincere love of what their department offers. The L/D dept is on the same floor, adjacent to the NICU. The department is getting a new manager in December and the area is expanding with new construction. I believe they are going from 8 LDRs to 14. My interview was with the educator who was also very personable. She also offered me an extern position in L/D until graduation. I love the world of maternal child health and hope to someday be a professional in both areas. I am so torn...it seems most people on these threads have also recommended the L/D route first. I also posted to the OB/Gyn Midwifery Board.

Mithrah · Oct 1, 2004

I initially went into nursing to be a L&D nurse. But in the end found NICU to be a much better environment for me to work in.

From my experience I have found that L&D nurses have more down time (and this is just from my clinical rotation in school). NICU nurses are usually continually busy.

I heard from a L&D nurse that it is either really boring, or really busy.

Do you really want to help moms deliver babies? I thought I did, but realized I wanted to help the babies. No lochia to check. No lady partss. Just cute, sweet, innocent babies who need caring loving nurses.

fergus51 · Oct 1, 2004

Well, if I were you and interested in both areas I would start with L&D. That's where the story begins for the families, so I think it's a good place for it to begin as a nurse and starting with an adult population may help you later in your career:) I don't find a difference in downtime, but that's probably because I always work in bigger hospitals.

JoniL&DRN · Oct 2, 2004

I have just been offered my choice of internships between L/D or NICU. Both in the same hospital with the same type of educational programs....I need advice on which area to accept. I have an equal interest and passion for both...This decision is a very important one and will shape my future. This is truly a dream come true...I never expected to have a choice of both... Please give advice. :balloons: Luck is where hard work and opportunity meet. Buddha

I don't have any advice to offer but I'll tell you this.. you are living my dream and I only hope I'm half that lucky! Best of luck to you in whichever you choose and let us know how it goes!

nursechick182, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2004

I was a new grad and did the NICU internship. I really wanted critical care experience right out of school. You will get to learn tons of skills in NICU as I'm sure you would for L/D. In NICU you get lots of critical care issues like monitoring blood pressure with arterial lines and ventilators. Plus, a NICU team attends high risk deliveries. I always thought I would have liked L/D too, but now that I have been doing NICU I think I would be too scared to do L/D. As a NICU nurse you see all the bad things that can happen to a baby during labor sometimes, and even though it is rare, and a majority of babies turn out fine and go to the regular nursery, it would just be really hard I think, for me at least. I would be so scared as a L/D nurse just because I would want to be aware immediately if there was something going wrong with the baby. We have even had a few babies lately where the pregnancy was fine and all of the sudden something goes wrong and the baby is in trouble, and they are a mess when they come out. Again, it is a pretty uncommon thing when that happens, but it still scares me out of ever doing L/D!

nursechick182, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2004

I was a new grad and did the NICU internship. I really wanted critical care experience right out of school. You will get to learn tons of skills in NICU as I'm sure you would for L/D. In NICU you get lots of critical care issues like monitoring blood pressure with arterial lines and ventilators. Plus, a NICU team attends high risk deliveries. I always thought I would have liked L/D too, but now that I have been doing NICU I think I would be too scared to do L/D. As a NICU nurse you see all the bad things that can happen to a baby during labor sometimes, and even though it is rare, and a majority of babies turn out fine and go to the regular nursery, it would just be really hard I think, for me at least. I would be so scared as a L/D nurse just because I would want to be aware immediately if there was something going wrong with the baby. We have even had a few babies lately where the pregnancy was fine and all of the sudden something goes wrong and the baby is in trouble, and they are a mess when they come out. Again, it is a pretty uncommon thing when that happens, but it still scares me out of ever doing L/D!

directcare4me · Oct 11, 2004

During my senior year of nursing school I decided I wanted to eventually be a nurse midwife. The programs I checked into all required a couple of years of experience in nursing, so I got a job right out of school at the large level 3 (4 now) NICU nearby. It was meant to be. I had thought I wanted to be a midwife because I went back on lots of deliveries as a nurse's aide at my small local hospital, and always got such a rush from that.

After working for a few months in the NICU I realized that for me, the hook was the baby not the mom. That was why I enjoyed the delivery room so much; it was the baby I wanted to focus on, not the mom.

So, just think some about exactly what it is that you enjoy most. It's not a problem to go into the NICU as a new grad; we have new grads all the time, and I did that. But I'm sure you would do well in L&D also. Good Luck!

(I never did go to midwifery school!)

directcare4me · Oct 11, 2004

During my senior year of nursing school I decided I wanted to eventually be a nurse midwife. The programs I checked into all required a couple of years of experience in nursing, so I got a job right out of school at the large level 3 (4 now) NICU nearby. It was meant to be. I had thought I wanted to be a midwife because I went back on lots of deliveries as a nurse's aide at my small local hospital, and always got such a rush from that.

After working for a few months in the NICU I realized that for me, the hook was the baby not the mom. That was why I enjoyed the delivery room so much; it was the baby I wanted to focus on, not the mom.

So, just think some about exactly what it is that you enjoy most. It's not a problem to go into the NICU as a new grad; we have new grads all the time, and I did that. But I'm sure you would do well in L&D also. Good Luck!

(I never did go to midwifery school!)