Question about Transfering into the NICU

Specialties NICU

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OK, since I am stuck in med-surg for now:o I was thinking of making my transfer into the NICU in December/January. That will be 6 months and when I will be allowed to transfer into the NICU.

Has it been really hard to hire those from med-surg floors into NICU. That is my biggest concern.

I just started in med-surg and I realize that I am NOT going to last in it at all. My heart is not in the right place and I know with everything I have ever done in my life. If my heart is not there I am not going to last. I am just hoping I will make it 6 months without quitting nursing all together.

If I can't do NICU then I am going to do Postpartum/Nursery if a position becomes available and that way at least I will be closer to maybe possibly getting into the NICU later on down the road.

Ok, sorry for venting. This is just so frustrating. I had a interview in one NICU at a different hospital from where I was working but I was not hired they had so many people they had to choose from. I pretended in the beginning not the be disappointed but it was very disappinting and now I just want to get over it. I feel like a baby and that I don't want to be at all and I feel really bad about the way I feel.

It should not matter if I am in Med-Surg I should want to help people and just do it. Right??

All I can do is keep my fingers cross and remain hopeful.

I would start talking to the nurse manager of NICU and/or nursery/PP NOW and let them know your interest in working for their units. Six months will be here before you know it. In most areas of nursing nurses are always coming and going and NICU is no exception so I'm sure there will be some openings in the next 6 months.

Don't feel bad about not having your heart in Med-Surg. I know if I was on Med-Surg my heart wouldn't be in it either. It doesn't mean that we are uncaring nurses it's just that we aren't where are passion is. We all have a God given passion. If all nurses had a passion for adults who would take care of the kids and babies and if all nurses had a passion for kids and babies who would take care of the adults and elderly?

Hang in there and keep us updated!

I agree, start talking to the NICU manager now. And look into other hospitals that also have NICUs. You may not even have to wait six months. I went straight to the NICU out of nursing school--I wouldn't have lasted two hours on a med/surg floor. Kudos to those who do it, but it surely wasn't for me.

Good luck, and don't waste any more time lamenting. Get started on your new NICU position.

Hey peaceful2100, i understand complety. i want to cry ever time i think about where i am gonna be working. I start work on monday and my heart is not in it at all. I too wonder if i will be able to last 6 months till the end of oreintation- email me if u want and perhaps we can help each other through it until we both end up where our heart desires- [email protected]:crying2:

Is it even professional to go to another nurse manager when you are working on another floor expressing your interest with the unit ESPECIALLY as a new grad?

Specializes in NICU.

Yes, it is absolutely professional if you do it the right way. If your hospital works the way mine does, you're going to have to apply for a unit transfer, which can actually take a couple of months to go through (at my hospital, the manager of your current unit can keep you up to 8 weeks after the date of your supposed "transfer" in an emergency situation, i.e., your unit suddenly has little staff and she needs you).

I would probably make sure that I handled it as tactfully as possible, and when you go to the manager of the other unit, explain to her that your heart just isn't in Med/Surg and that you believe that nurses should find a unit that they are passionate about and that NICU is the one for you. Don't down your current unit or manager or fellow staff, though, because it will surely get back to your current manager. People have friends in odd places within a hospital, and you don't want to find out the hard way! :)

If for some reason it does get back to your manager and she confronts you about it, be very nice and smile and say that you were just evaluating your options because you weren't sure if Med/Surg is for you. Throw in some compliments if you have to. Either way, it might be awkward for a while, depending on the personality of your current manager, but there's not a whole lot you can do about that. The point is, you shouldn't stay on a unit that your heart isn't in, you know?

Now, it would be highly UNPROFESSIONAL to go to the new manager and criticize your unit or the way it's run, etc. So you're probably safe as long as you don't go throwing darts! Don't forget, lots of people switch units AND hospitals ALL THE TIME trying to find a place they prefer, so it's not new to anyone within the system.

Good luck! Hang in there. Six months is nothing!

Thanks for the advice everyone. I do know at the particular hospital I work at MOST of the nursing managers are a tight knit group and very supportive of each other. I am not sure about the NICU manager and my manager but I do know not to go around bad mouthing and that makes sense. People should learn to keep it among themselves unless it is something totally dangerous, unethical, or illegal.

I just don't know how to approach the NICU manager especially since I worked on that unit (NICU) last summer as a tech but I left after 2 months for personal reasons. I am afraid that NICU manager will hold that against me and feel as though I am not loyal but I was going through a lot of personal issues last summer that is resolved and will not come up again.I did get a good evaulation though.

I know 6 months is nothing and after this week I had it was horrible and I know the area I am in is definitely NOT for me. I can't say it with 100% certainity but right now I feel that way. However, tomorrow I work and it is a new day and I know I will learn more tomorrow. That is my attitude and I am sticking with the positive one rather than a nasty one.

Tonya, I know exactly how you feel. I have been a med/surg nurse for the past "16" years.. My heart has always been to care for babies in the NICU or nursery. Don't know why I waited so long..It is difficult to get hired in these areas but my nurse mgr. put in some good words for me. I really think that is the only way I would have gotten the position. I just finished my orientation and I'm loving it! I still have much to learn and it's still scary but I know that I'm where I belong now! Best of luck to you and we'll all be praying that you get that position in 6 months. You will learn alot in med/surg so just hang in there!! Linda

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