new member--RN and mom to a preemie

Specialties NICU

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Hello! I am new to this board. I am an RN currently working in an endoscopy lab,and the mother to a preemie- but I am interested in transferring to our NICU--. Here's my story: I developed severe pre-ec at 26 weeks and delivered my miracle 2 days later weighing in at 1 lb 4 oz and and great length of 12 in!! :) I got pg with the help of Clomid and went on to have a fairly good pg until about 25 wks. I started swelling--just a little at first, but by a week later, I could barely tie my shoes! About 6 days before I actually delivered I became very sick--vomitting and unable to hold anything down. I was dehydrated and was having some--what I thought was contractions. I went to OBs office--BP was 110/60 and they gave me 1.5 L of fluid and IV Zofran and sent me home. And like I said by Tues. I couldn't tie my shoes. A former L&D RN that I worked with convinced my to check my bp--it was 200/110! Another friend of mine took my urine to the ED and dipped it--he came back saying the paper went black when he dipped it! Still--being the ignorant nurse that I am! hehe!--nothing can happen to me-right?--I was convinced everything was fine. I called my doc and he said get over here right now! I was admitted that afternoon and by Thurs-2 days later because of my worsening condition and Alyssa's decels, my precious baby girl was delivered. She spent 91 days in the hosp-5 in NICU. She was only vented for 9 days, had no IVH or NEC, but had numerous blood and plt transf and many infections-incld a meningitis scare, and 2 ing. hernia repairs. I am happy to say that she is a healthy 22 month old who can count to 7 (skipping 6!), has over a 50 word vocab and is starting to talk in sentences. She is slightly behind in motor skills (possible dyspraxia) and is receiving PT, OT and EI services. She had Stage I ROP that resolved itself. She is above her adj age in everything else--and at her chron. age in a few areas! She continues to amaze many people, most importantly her mom and dad!

Now almost 2 years later, I'm thinking I want to work in the NICU. I feel because of my personal experience I could really empathize with the families and provide a special kind of support that maybe someone not having had a preemie can give. Not that any of you don;t support the parents, but there's a special bond between preemie parents-exp those of micropreemies. But, my personal experience is just what I'm afraid of. I 'm afraid that I am looking at this move through rose colored glasses and I emotionally won't be able to handle it. But, I just feel this calling- like God is whispering to me to help those like me. Although the emotional rollercoaster is now more like a kiddie fair ride--I still have my days when I cry--for happiness, sadness, anger, etc. I dont' want to make this move and then realize I made a mistake. I have a great job now--M-F 8-5, and one out of 10 weekends. And I was just assigned as one of 6 permanent charge nurses (everyone was rotating previously). I would like to stay here for a little longer-plus my husb and I want another baby and I would like to wait to work in NICU until after I have the 2nd baby--I definatly don't think I could handle working in and having a baby in the NICU at the same time.

Does anyone have any advice? Have any of you had a preemie or know someone who's had a preemie and gone on to work in the NICU? How did they handle it?

IF you've gotten this far--thanks! I can be long-winded---even online!

Renee mom to Alyssa 26 wkr now 22 mo!:)

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Hi and welcome. I'm new too-just joined a week ago. I'm a new nurse & starting in nicu in Feb, so I've read many of these threads. I think you might like the one titled "what inspired you to work in nicu". It's here in this forum, just about 10-15 threads below your post. Some members have told how their experiences with having children in the nicu made them become nicu nurses. You might want to respond to someone's post there that might be able to help you with the issue of family/new unit/emotions, etc. Good luck and congrats on your little miracle.:)

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Specializes in NICU, PICU,IVT,PedM/S.

I would wait until you are sure you are ready for the change! Because you wouldn't get those hours.

You might also be suprised at the feelings that working there will bring up. NICU parents have post tramatic stress syndrome. My daughter was in special care for three weeks with no real emergenciies or set backs and I am amazed that I can't remember very much of the whole thing! There have been some intresting articles about parents in neonatal network.

So just make sure you are ready to deal with all the stuff. But we have several nurses that have come to NICU via past parent! Good Luck>

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Growing up I always wanted to be a nurse. However, I never had the family support nor the encouragement. (I wanted to add that my hubby was very supportive) After trying to have children for over 8 years I finally (with the help of fertility drugs) became pregnant with twins. Then I started having complications. I ended up giving birth at 24 weeks gestation. My daughter was 1 lb. 1/4 oz. and my son was 1 lb. 4 oz. and they were both of course in NICU. At 9 days old my daughter passed away. That was a wake-up call for me. After my son was a year old I enrolled at the local college and decided that I would not give up. My goal was to become a NICU RN. During my clinicals I found other areas of nursing that I liked better and looking back on my experiences with NICU I just don't think I could work there. I hold the utmost respect for all NICU RN's and they were so wonderful to me and my family. They truly were such angels. Sorry for rambling. Maybe if you take a tour of a NICU and talk with some of the nurses working there might help. I know for me when I went through clinicals in college I had to work in NICU and it was a little emotional. That is when I knew it wasn't for me. Too many memories both good and bad. Good Luck on your decision.

:)

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We have a few nurses who were parents of premies. For some of them it was an asset. They could empathize with the parents and that helped in developping relationships with them.

However we have had 2 that didn't make it. One because she was too emotionally fragile to work with sick babies. It just brought up her own feelings and she couldn't deal with them apprpriately at work. It was just too painful for her. The other wound up transfering because of her overattachment to parents. She was..... well on the parents' "side" all the time, even when it was not in the baby's best interests and despite her lack of experience as a nurse, felt she knew what was best because she had been a parent. I think she had loss of control issues when her baby was in the unit and so she wanted to make sure that parents she worked with felt more in control. Unfortunately, this resulted in "her" parents becoming completely impossible to deal with. They wanted to diagnose and determine the medical plan themselves and would not listen to anyone other than "their" nurse because they didn't trust anyone else. That set up a difficult situation between that nurse and the rest of the staff. She was openly hostile and it was clear she hadn't worked out her own issues before coming to the unit.

As long as you feel emotionally ready and able to separate your experiences from that of other families, I think you can do great in the NICU. I don't want to discourage you in any way, I just want you to go in with your eyes open.

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