New to NICU

Specialties NICU

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Hi! :) I'm so excited for my start day May 20th in the NICU. It's my dream job and I got extremely lucky to get it as a new grad in a level III NICU at a teaching hospital, I cannot wait to start. Any advice, pointers, brain sheets, wisdom, etc? I know there's tons of threads, but some are out-dated and I'd love to here from new grads in the NICU or current NICU RNs. I already purchased Merenstein&Gardners Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care and I've started reading. :)

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Anyone? I know everyone here probably has some kind of advice, funny/happy moments that make you love NICU, moments to prepare for, etc?

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Awe... Congrats!! I also got a new grad position in NICU, and I start May 13Th. If anything interesting comes up I'll let you know.

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I start at a level III NICU in July! I'm so excited! December grad and will have 7 months sub-acute experience when I start in NICU! I'm also interested in some advice.. brains, things to look out for, interesting experiences that will happen to all of us....

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Anybody? Has anyone started as a new grad recently?? How's it going? I had my first week of hospital/nursing orientation Mon-Fri, it went really well. :) I have orientation this Tues-Thurs then I'll be on the floor on Friday!!!!! :) I'm so excited.

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Congratulations NICURN2013! Can't wait to hear how it goes for you once you're on the floor. How exciting!!!!

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Specializes in NICU.

Although the threads may be "outdated" to you, things haven't changed as much as you might think. The fundamentals of NICU nursing haven't drastically changed. Sure we use some more fancy equipment and new drugs, but the basics of a head-to-toe on an infant hasn't changed. No one expects you to know the in-depth patho of all possible disease states of the sick infant before your first day, so while the treatment of those disease states may have changed slightly, assessment has not. I would continue to read the old threads as there is a lot of good information in there.

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Specializes in NICU.

Check out the S.T.A.B.L.E. guide. It has a lot of good information for new NICU nurses. Plan for a wild ride, lol, but it's a good one :). When you are off work, be off--your mind will be going a hundred miles an hour and you will need downtime to keep you sane!

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Specializes in Adult ICU/PICU/NICU.

I have been retired from critical care nursing for four years, but I'll share a bit of my thoughts on my NICU experience. Granted, I regularly moonlighted in the NICU when I was a PICU nurse, so this is not from the perspective of a real neonatal nurse.

NICU nursing is the most highly specialized type of nursing that I ever did, and it may be the most specialized of any kind of nursing out there. There is so little room for error, but as you don't have as much variety as say, an adult ICU nurse or a PICU nurse, I found that most experienced NICU nurses are rock solid in their knowledge of everything neonatal...vs a PICU nurse who may be great with hearts, but shy away from burns or hem/onc. There is everything from super sick micro premie to the late term meconium aspiration to complex chronics....to your everyday premie/rds and you feeder growers. If you are stressed out about taking care of these really sick kiddos, you can take a "break" with a usually quiet shift with three feeder/growers...although one never knows when one will throw you for a loop. I remember I had a kiddo on HFO who I spent a 12 hour shift with...had to mess with the drips every time I turned around...couldn't get his gasses in check....a train wreck...had surfactant...you name it we did it. Thankfully I managed to keep him alive, but I felt like a zombie when I was done. For the next day I asked for an easier assignment, please and thank you. No problem. You're from PICU to help us. We love you. Have you're pick of assignment! So I took three feeder growers who required little teaching and just needed to PO well. Half way into the shift...one started to pulse drop every half hour of so. Soon it was every fifteen minutes. Then every five minutes, then continuously. The kiddo ended up on ECMO with RSV....my first and ONLY time being the nurse when a kid goes on ECMO. So one never knows. Thank goodness, my NICU nurses took good care of me when I came over...and I of them when they got pulled to the PICU. My only advice to you...and this is for new grads in any type of nursing....to find experienced nurses who are good teachers and good people. Doesn't matter if they are a ADN, diploma RN, LPN...even the aides can teach you something. Our best feeder wasn't an RN or an LPN...she was an old fashioned SNA (Sr. nursing assistant) known as "Granny"...she could get a rock to eat!

Best wishes to you on what will be a BEAUTFIUL journey,

Mrs H.

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Hi! :) I'm so excited for my start day May 20th in the NICU. It's my dream job and I got extremely lucky to get it as a new grad in a level III NICU at a teaching hospital I cannot wait to start. Any advice, pointers, brain sheets, wisdom, etc? I know there's tons of threads, but some are out-dated and I'd love to here from new grads in the NICU or current NICU RNs. I already purchased Merenstein&Gardners Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care and I've started reading. :)[/quote']

Congrats on landing the job!! This is also my dream job! Is there anything you did while still in school that helped you?

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Good to know!! :) Thank you!

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Thank you!!! :) I did my preceptorship in L&D, unfortunately we weren't allowed to do it in NICU. I think what helped me the most was showing them how excited I was and passionate I am. I think they know I'm not going anywhere so they were willing to train me and put the money into me as a new grad. I also had really great references from pediatrics and OB, so that probably helped :)

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