what inspired you to work in nicu?

ilynn · Dec 28, 2003

i was a preemie. barely 7 months old.

weighing 2.2 lbs, stayed 45 days incubator and 1 month in nursery.

after 20 years i also got a chance to care for a preemie weighing 1 700 grams with some complications...

and sort of felt like connected to her...

it was hard to care for her cuz there are times she'd

get really close to sayin goodbye - but i told her not to give up cuz i didn't...if i survived she will and she DID !

after two weeks she was put in the well baby room!

i loved that baby...

she was a real fighter.

NICU RN310 · Jan 7, 2004

I commend you on wanting to be an NICU Nurse! I'ts very rewarding! Especially when you get to see your little patients grow and make progress every year at the hospital's annual party! What's more inspiring is when these once-so-called, "preemies" run to give you hugs and kisses! That's when you know YOU'VE made a difference in their lives and their families! Stay motivated and inspired, pretty soon you'll be getting those hugs & kissess from them! :kiss

pinkcrush6988 · Jan 12, 2004

I'm only 15 and i have already decided that i really want to be an neonatal nurse. Last March, my aunt delivered two twin boys. One lived 31 hours, the other, 31 days. I had the opportunity to visit the living one in the NICU and i also got to feed him (put the syringe in the machine). I have chosen this career because i feel that if i can help one family avoid the pain we went through, a little less than a year ago, then it will be totally worth it. Before, i had wanted to be a pediatrician. I have read a lot of books from the library and i often find them so interesting i can't even put the down. It's truly amazing how a 400 gram baby on the virge of death can find the strenght to pull through. And i want to help. I would like to attend Rush University in Chicago.

StacyC417 · Jan 12, 2004

...BUT I am determined to become a NICU nurse after the birth and subsequent loss of my daughter, Zoe. She was born Dec. 14, 2002 at 29wks weighing 2lbs 2oz &13 1/2 inches. Her prematurity was due to complications stemming from Gastroschisis. I know that my little one was put here for a reason, and I really think that was to make her mommy a nurse. In her two and a half month life, I learned so much. Even though I left without a baby in my arms, she is always with me, and I think that there is no better tribute to her than to help out other little ones and their parents. I also have the NICU staff to thank for my new career path. All of the nurses pushed me to go back to school, so here I am.

I am posting a link to Zoe's album. I always think that it's awesome how much she grew. Truly a miracle!

http://photos8.msn.com/myfiles/folderview.aspx?Folder=4gPozhciq6bYILNWnTjllZksZ9BwXh8NwEeXlmeqdjM%24

Take Care,

Stacy

blondielaine7rn · Jan 17, 2004

Pinkcrush, Hi! I just graduated in Dec from nursing school & am starting as an rn in a nicu in Feb. Some advice I have for you is:

When you are in nursing school, you may have semesters you want to quit. You might be like me and hate gero, psych, and nursing research classes. Please don't quit-just learn and get through it the best you can. You will love your ob and maybe peds semester, and it will all be worth it in the end.

When you find a hospital you want to work in, try to get a job as a nurse tech in the nicu. You might have to wait awhile b/c these jobs are usually hard to come by in the nicu, so apply as soon as you can. Most hospitals hire techs when they're in their foundations level of nursing school (this is usually your first semester of clinicals). Just find out from the hospital. It's good to be a tech where you want to nurse b/c the staff gets to know you, your future boss will know you, and when graduation comes, you will most likely get hiring preference in your nicu over grads that teched at other hospitals.

I hope this helps & good luck! The world needs more nurses, especially those that are in it for their love of helping others.

eor'spal · Jan 24, 2004

Good for you, TxADNstudent!

I worked as a nurse tech in the NICU for six and a half years before I became a nurse, but I think I was drawn to it because I also lost a baby, and I also wish things would have been handled differently. I wanted to make that HARD experience easier for other parents (and babies, too!). I am a big supporter of our unit's PRIDE (parents responding to infant death experience) program, and as hard as it is I think one of my favorite things to do for a family is take photos of their child before, during and after the death experience so they will have what little reminders they can in the years to come. It can be a very difficult job, and it takes a special kind of person to do it, but I think your experience could help you be a better nurse to a family who needs you.

Good luck! :)