Poll: What do you love about the NICU?

WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2008

I do love that new nurses can work nicu. Even though it looks like I won't be working it right now, I still want to work it in the future.

I love this thread also, and the funny story one.

Acosmo27 · Jul 22, 2008

LOVE this thread. Im still in nursing school, but I know for a fact that NICU is my calling. I just know it. Cant wait until the day I can share my own stories. :heartbeat

Disneyfan · Jul 24, 2008

I love that the NICU enabled me to bring my micro-preemie triplets home when I was told it would not happen.

I love that the NICU has allowed me to have 8 years of magic, fun, excitement, tears, and laughter.

I love that the NICU has given me a chance for 3 times the hugs and kisses every day.

I love that the NICU fulfilled my dream to be a mom.

I love that the NICU helped my children to come home so we could be a family.

I love that the NICU was filled with doctors, nurses, therapists, and staff who truly cared for my children, me, and my DH.

I love that the NICU has given me the chance to love more than I knew possible, to be loved more than I deserve, and to have more joy than I ever imagined.

I love that in less than 2 weeks I get to go back to the NICU as an RN and offer other families the same chances.

I love the NICU.

NCbabynurse · Jul 28, 2008

Hello all. My name is Dinah and I just applied for a NICU job. I have worked for 9 years in a Level I/II nursery. I just accepted the NICU III job and I am very excited. I know I have a lot to learn but when I went in the NICU during my job interview, I just got excited about the whole concept. I really lucked up because this job is a better pay, closer to my home, and has great PERKS..........If anyone has any advice for me it is greatly accepted and I would appreciate it. Thanks:typing:heartbeat:nurse:

Sun*shine · Oct 8, 2008

what a fantastic thread. it's been an absolute joy to read.

mjick · Oct 15, 2008

I am not a NICU nurse (yet) but have experienced the NICU world for 3 months (my son was born at 26 weeks). I always heard from the nurses that they love seeing "their preemies" when the parents bring them back for a visit (2 years, 5 years, 20 years) later.... I think its such a rewarding feeling when they see them reach milestones eventhough the babies had the most difficult first days of life. Its a great feeling to know that even the lightest touch or cuddle may have contributed to the babies' survival. NICU nurses are my heroes ! I will forever be thankful for the care they have given to my child. I hope to give back to other families what the NICU nurses have given my family someday....chance for a great life for my son.

annmarie1959 · Nov 20, 2008

I have recently started in NICU. I went back to school for my RN, and was fortunate enough to get this wonderful opportunity. NICU nurses are wonderful teachers and have been ultra supportive. Prior to this, I had worked 12 years in Adult Cardiac, most recently as a triage nurse. I have to say when I walked into the NICU during clinicals, I KNEW this was what I was meant to do! The lack of opportunities left me feeling almost hopeless and triage was DEFINIteLY not my cup of tea. I prayed hard to have this opportunity and 2 days after my birthday, I got the call! I know I have TONS to learn about these babies, but I will do it because I LOVE what I am doing!:wink2:

dawnebeth · Dec 12, 2008

I love the ICN--and I've never worked anywhere else. I graduated 21 years ago tomorrow--and always knew I wanted children or babies. I got the job in the ICN on my 31st birthday and started working three days later. It's been a blessing; a fun time, a really, really hard time, some times slow, most times non-stop, noisy, busy, frustrated and exciting. I love knowing that what we do with the babies makes them stronger and better, that they grow to what they will be with our help.

The PICU with its car accident victims, gunshot victims and children who are dying makes me so sad, but the nursery is almost always joyous, even on the saddest day. These babies are born sick, preemie or with syndromes, and we help them live. I originally thought that most of the babies would die, but most actually live, and the day they go home with their families is such a wonderful achievement. I thrive in the ICN.

Dawnebeth

NICURN29 · Dec 17, 2008

I love that baby poop is so much easier to deal with than big people poop.

I love the babies.

I love the fact that we are caring for the entire family, from the baby in the isolette to the mom and dad at home to the grandparents who can only visit once in a while.

I love the relationships that last even after the baby graduates from the NICU and the pictures we get years later, thanking us for all we did for them.

I love the teamwork feeling that comes about after being in the trenches with your coworkers, critically thinking your butt off as you save a life.

I love the rush you get as you are learning or experiencing something new.

And I love the down time, with the cuddles you can sneak in with that cranky baby who just won't sleep.

I really love my job and am so happy I ended up in the NICU right out of nursing school. I can't imagine doing anything else!

Breezy Girl · Dec 24, 2008

Going into NS, I always said I wanted to work in the NICU. I don't know why. I had experience w/ adult care (ER, MICU, L&D- being a med tech in the military) but no experience w/ neonates at all. I ended gettinga 10 week preceptorship at my last quarter of school in the NICU, and boy... did I LOVE it. I was afraid I wasn't going to like it, but oh my goodness. I don't want to work anywhere else in nursing. I loved going in to work, to see the babies and hold them, and talk to them. Even if they were on HFOV, seeing the little 2 pound babies made me happy.

I loved the neonatologists we worked with. I loved the nurses I worked with. I loved how it was just a happy atmosphere-- considering. It wasn't as stressful as a Med Surg floor. We had 1-4 pts depending on acuity, and some days I went home absolutely exhausted, but happy nonetheless. Just the look on the parent's faces when I see them adore their child, or when they whisper to me, "please, take care of my baby" does it for me. It makes each moment worth it.

I'm having a hard time finding a position in a NICU that will take a new nurse, but hopefully, I will find one, cuz like it's said, "Find a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life." And do I love the NICU!

shakeitup82 · Jan 12, 2009

I absolutely love this thread! I just finished reading every post and it further convinced me that the NICU is where I want to be when I graduate! I'm only a sophomore in a BSN program but I've been addicted to these boards over the past few days and the things I've read on the NICU board have been especially inspiring!

You are all amazing and I can't wait for the day where I join you all as a NICU nurse. :)

NIGHTWOLF87 · Mar 30, 2009

"why do i love the nicu?" hmmmm....where do i begin?

1) i love it here in the nicu because i can actually be a nurse and care for my patients. here in our nicu, our nurse to patient ratio in level iii is 1:1 or 2, depending on acuity, and in our level ii, it is 3-4. when i started it out as a med/oncology rn, the average patient load for me was around 14 patients. i hardly had time to even remember my patient's names, let alone trying to get to know them a little better. if i saw them for more than 5 minutes, it was a miracle. just time enough to run in give them their meds and head on out to the next patient. now i can actually take the time to really get to know my babies. and you get to see a lot of "mini milestones" in their lives. for the micro premies, we get to see when they first open their eyes. see how they progress from oscillators to room air; see how they also go from gavage feeds to full, nipple feeds. it is very rewarding to get a 23 week baby grow and get to go home.

2) the next best reason as to why i love the nicu has to be because of the staff. since we are a unique unit, being a "closed" unit, we don't have to worry about a ton of visitors coming and going and crowding the bedside. only parents and grandparents are allowed at the bedside at our nicu, and then only 2 at a time. but my co-workers are awesome! here on nights we really do got each others backs. because when you get a call from l&d for a stat delivery, you know you need your fellow rns to help you out. i can honestly say that i just don't have co-workers in the unit, i actually have "friends." also, the mds and nnps are all very approachable and "nurse friendly." most of the time when they are doing rounds, we get a lot of "what do you think?" as to the next course of action with the infants. and 99% of our suggestions end up with, "ok, we'll try that." the mds and nnps truly take our suggestions seriously and count on us for input as to what to do next with the infant's plan of care. also, on every tuesday morning at around 0730, we have mini inservices provided by the neo and have a general q & a session. plus, we have our clinical educator, along with the neo, pick one patient on the unit, and we go through the infant's chart and discuss what is going on with the baby. very informative.

3) i love being at c-sections and seeing the babies being born. it is a wonderful feeling transporting the newborns to the transitional nursery and seeing the excitement in the father's or significant other's face. someone once said that "the decision to have children is to forever know that your heart will forever walk outside your body." that is so true. i can vividly remember when my son was born, a 37 weeker (9lb 11oz, vag delivery!), who had to spend 5 days in our nicu due to the fact that my wife had gestational diabetes, and subsequently, my son developed blood glucose problems and jaundice. but to see him now, he is full of life and a typical soon-to-be 3 year old; in to everything, and hearing "daddy, daddy, daddy...." constantly, but i'm not complaining

of course, you have to take the good, with the bad. we have a relatively small unit (our max capacity is 34), and we are short staffed. and there are nights when we get slammed with admissions, stat deliveries, etc. plus, we get to see life begin, and sometimes, end. in my opinion, the hardest part of this job is to prepare the "memory box" for the families who have just lost their little ones. i cannot imagine the pain that they feel right at that moment. i don't know how i would react if i ever lost my son (don't ever want to find out!)

to sum it all up, i love my job and i love what i do. i would definitely recommend any new grad nurse who doesn't know what field he/she wants to go into, and any seasoned nurse who is looking for a change, to try the nicu. i can guarantee that you won't be disappointed and definitely a rewarding experience.