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.

No matter how grouchy the traffic getting to work makes you feel once you get to work and see those cute babies they put a smile on your face, some of them make faces that make you laugh. I also find it amazing that these tiny 2 pound people are yawning and stretching. It is also rewarding to see a very sick, former micro premie come back to visit with their parents and you see a robust child with chubby legs and smiling faces. I would not trade NICU for any other area.

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Thank you all for sharing these.

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Specializes in level 3 NICU.

A 100 years ago :wink2: when I was in nursing school I did a rotation in an adult MICU. My evil instructor assigned me and another student to a 480lb comatose pt who had been abondon by his family when ask to sign a DNR. everything that could go wrong in the human body had gone wrong with this poor guy. He had a cont feed of Ensure and a cont river of stool:down:. My instructor (the devil's mother-in-law) said "CLEAN HIM UP NOW" Thank God for a kind old ordely(that what we called them back then) who helped us. So one of the things I love about NICU is I have never had a pt over 14 lbs. NICU IS THE BEST!!!

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Specializes in NICU.

This past weekend (during the March for Babies/Dimes Walk) I got to see my very first primary. He was a 23 weeker and had a lengthy stay here in the NICU. He is now 2 1/2 years old and is doing great! I see him and his family a few times a year, and it is always great to see how well he's doing.

According to his Mom, he's going through some "stranger anxiety" right now, so she warned me that he might not let me hold him. Well - he came running up to me and wouldn't let me put him down the entire day! I swear he "knows" me - inspite of all the "terrible" things I had to do to him as his nurse!

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Specializes in ICU.

I just have to say that I love hearing all the NICU stories:heartbeat. I am a pre-nursing student waiting for that long awaited call to enter the program:bugeyes:. I too feel like NICU is where I want to be. I know it won't always be easy and I'll have to deal with some really difficult stuff but just knowing that I'll be there for those little helpless ones will make it all worth it. I can't wait to begin this journey, it took me some time to come to the realization that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life but now there are no doubts:nono:.

Amen for all you NICU Nurses:bow:, keep up the good work.

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I am a fairly new nurse. I've been working 18 months. My first job was on a Med-surg unit. I knew from the beginning of school I wanted to work in the NICU, however, there are not many openings in my area. I worked one year med-surg and basically learned how to be a REAL nurse. I think it's hard to make the transition from school to work! I was lucky enough that a NICU position opened up so quickly for me. I absolutely love my job!! It is a completely different environment than what I experienced on the floor. I would recommend this position to anyone who has the desire :) If you, however, do not get offered a position right after school, I would highly recommend taking the same route I did and get some great experience with multitasking and prioritizing while you wait for another opening!!

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I just love reading all the NICU stories!! I am a high school student and I really want to be a nurse and am attracted to the NICU. I started volunteering at A.I. duPont children's hospital and I always try to visit the unit when I am there. Sometimes I can't go in and I get really mad. Anyways, I think I will ask the volunteer director if I can be a "cuddler" or something in the NICU because I just love babies! Thank you to all the NICU nurses!

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Specializes in OT, Palliative, ICU, NICU, Wound Care,.

I love the babies - absolutely love them

I love working systematically and methodically - I love the structure of ICU nursing.

I love being part of facilitating that bond between baby and parents - I jsut love celebrating their job and encouraging them to feel great about their parenting. I love watching the parents gain confidence in caring for their babies.

I love being at the birth and resuscitating them (strange but true)

I love to watch them grow - it seems almost impossible - I love to watch them get fat on breast milk. I lvoe it when their parents come back in after 6 months with these lovely chubby bubbling babies that were once 500grams.

I dont like seeing sad situations where parents are so stressed and anxious.

I dont like the fact that no matter what we do for some babies their outcome is going to be sad (durg withdrawing babies, babies with poor prognosis for long term disabilities) I like to give them the best of my care when they are with me.

I dont like working on the wards - it is 'grunt' work - it is too busy to do anything well - the medical staff have less regard for you and dont listen to your opinion as much. There is too much menial work (sorry if this sounds rude). I like my 1 or 2 babies and to be able to give good quality care to them. I love adult nursing too - just love the babies more.

I am also current back at college (uni) doing a post grad diploma and I love learning about the NICU. It is amazing stuff...

Go for it:redpinkhe

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wow i actually read all 11 pages! great posts! i've been dreaming of becoming an NICU nurse ever since i learned about it [junior year of HS]. i volunteered at an ICU and one of the nurses told me about NICU. I knew right then that is the right job for me. This thread has inspired me even more. Thank you.

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Specializes in Cardiac Nursing.

I actually read all the post too. I just graduated and definately want to work NICU. I haven't been offered a positon yet and I have an interview on an adult ICU, which I may take since it will get my foot in the door to the hospital system that has the NICU. Plus I'll learn critical care time management. But I know, in my heart I want to be a NICU nurse. I was a NICU baby or as close to a NICU as they had in the 70's as I was a month early and underweight. According to my mom, all I had to do was grow so I only spent a month.

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hey same here! I was a low birthweight baby (3.5 lbs) so they put me in an incubator. my mom's not sure if the place was called nicu though. but anyway i know that low birthweight babies are taken care of at the NICU now.

i might pursue to be a neonatal clinical nurse specialist or neonal nurse practitioner. but i dont think i have to decide now 'cause i will need some experience first before getting my master's

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

Enjoyed this thread, :heartbeat

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