Poll: What do you love about the NICU?

Specialties NICU

Published

I'm a nursing student with not too much farther to go. (YEAH!). I'm giving serious thought to starting in the NICU post-graduation. From what I have observed, it just seems to be the right fit for me. We get a 6 week preceptor-ship right before we graduate, so I'm hoping I'll be fortunate enough to get one of the limited NICU slots. I was just wondering why all of you love NICU nursing as opposed to general med-surg floors, peds, adult ICUs, ED, etc.... Also, what do you NOT like about the NICU? I just want to make sure I'm making the right decision here. TIA!

Specializes in NICU.

I love getting to give parent's opportunities that they never thought they would get with their baby. My primary right now, born at 24 2/7, has had a really rough go at things. Perf, horrible lung disease, NEC... he's a fighter though and is doing awesome now! Anyway... he is finally stable enough for a few bottles a day, and has been doing great with them. Yesterday his Mom got to feed him a bottle for the first time. At the end of it, he had a HUGE wet burp, and got it all over her pants. She was so happy about it!!! It's a "normal baby thing" as she put it...

I love my job!

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Specializes in NICU.

I have worked in NICU for 29 years now. Approximately 2 years ago, a mother phoned me at home. She had seen my name in the paper and looked me up. Twenty years ago, I was the primary nurse for her daughter, an infant with a massive lung mass, who was hospitalized for over 8 months. Her mom came to visit her every day, but hadn't held her for months.

And she said to me....I never forgot you. I came in to the NICU one day, and you said that you had a surprise for me. You had me sit in a rocking chair, and gathered up about 5 staff members to assist you. You allowed me to hold me daughter for the first time, intubated, lines, chest tubes and all. I will never forget you, or the compassion you showed by allowing me the gift of holding my baby girl.

Then very recently I was contacted by the mother of a little boy who was a 24 weeker, and was now 11 years old. He was another one of my primary patients. He had severe ROP, and his parents were told that he would be blind. His mother was a school teacher, and I remember when I came to work that day, his mother was holding him. She took one look at me, and started crying. She said that she'd been waiting for me to come all day. We talked for over an hour, as she cried out her feelings but not ever being able to teach her son about color, or what the sky, the ocean, or the mountains looked like, because he couldn't see them.

When he was discharged, his mother gave me a framed plaque, which I still have. It said "Friend, You came in just when it seemed like the whole world had gone out."

We'd been exchanging Christmas cards for years. her son is legally blind, but can see just enough to be able to distinguish colors. Even at age 11, you can tell he'd ben a preemie! But a handsome one.:)

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Specializes in NICU.

I enjoyed caring little ones in a cot, sick or well...:wink2:

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there haven't been any posts on this thread for awhile but i just wanted to say that i enjoyed reading all of these stories very much. i have wanted to be a NICU nurse for awhile now..for some reason when I think of my job as a REAL nurse I can only see myself with babies or children. i was always afraid that my chances of getting a job in the NICU right out of school were a long shot but now i can see that it is possible and also very rewarding. now i have something to look forward to when i am spending countless hours studying and motivation when i want to quit.i am just starting nursing school next semester and i will be counting down until my dream comes true. thank you all very much for sharing!

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I'm about to start a practicum in the NICU and these posts are so encouraging and heart-warming! :redbeathe thanks! :)

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Specializes in NICU.

I love the smell of a freshly bathed infant; when you can actually place them in a tub and give them a decent bath. We use J & J baby wash. Then I use a bit of warmed baby lotion where they have no leads or IVs to worry about. The final touch is brushing their hair. One Mom said to me one day; "She smells just like a real baby!" :bby:

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This was so great to read! This is the field I have thought about going into. Everyone asks me, what about the babies you see die? I always tell them Yes there will be those cases, but think about all the great reasons for being in the field( ones mentioned above). I see NICU nurses and my heart gets fluttery. Its just something I feel in my heart I so want to do. Im still in my pre reqs at college, but I know this is the field I want to go into. I dont think there is anything else Id rather do.

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My baby spent her first two weeks of life in the NICU and I totally got the chills reading your message! I felt like I worked there being i would never go home! I now am working on getting into nursing and I hope and pray I will get to work on the NICU floor that is my goal!! So that I can give parents like myself hope for thier new baby!

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I love my job in the NICU for many of the same reasons as most of you. I also love interacting and teaching the parents, well most of them.

The negative part of the job is sending my babies home to parents that are less than normal. You know these kids are going to have bad outcomes and you can't do anything to prevent it. That's what keeps me up nights!!

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I am so happy that I discovered this forum. I am a graduate nurse with a BSN, and will be taking my NCLEX Exam in March. will i be able to get a job as a RN in the NICU without any experience ? Should I start applying to hospitals now or should I wait until I have my license?

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Specializes in NICU.

It is not so sweet and nice all the time.Lately you have to do more with less= less staff more and sicker patients AND crazier families. You could try your best with your aching swollen feet all day and it is just not good enough!I go home so tired I can not even fall asleep.

Parents do not even want to buy formula for their infants after discharge,they expect to be given a long term supply.We still float , no aides to stock ,no one to really clean the beds well, you pull out a clean isolette for a new patient and open to find a bunch of dried on stool! So now you have to clean it also.

Parents are so nasty they yell and threaten, so dysfunctional they do not care about their baby's needs. Alot of them pretend not to speak any english, and steal the hats blankets,shirts ,soap, anything they can get their hands on. I have stomach pains from all the stress of seeing my adminstrators just walk around doing nothing while you sweat trying to take care of everyone's neds,doctors included. Some docsare such ass kissers they will side against the nurses.

Viva La France !!:heartbeat

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I am interested in NICU speciality as well...I started working only about 4-5 months back.. Do i need to have experience in med surge before going for NICU or can i go straight...And is there anyone who works in Surrey NICU who can give me some insight...thanks

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