What to know about considering the NICU

[evette]

Im considering going back to school to hopefully get a job in the NICU. I could only see my self working with babies or children & actually enjoy my job. Maybe even maternity since i had such a good experience with my NP, & she seemed like she had reasonable set hours..

Recently I became a new mother which is pushing me to want to succeed while deeping my compassion at the same time. I do however fear that Ill fail, be to emotional & most importantly be absent from my daughter's life.

What can you tell me about this field, will I always be drained & working long hours away from home life (I'm a single parent)?

I turn into a big sap watching baby videos, what if I go through school just to find out I cabby face a parent in a level 3 without crying?

I've also been out of high school for 5 years & I'm really afraid to fail enjoy if I know I'm trying. Before I was pregnant I wanted to go back with hopes of going to vanderbilt for the NNP program but never thought I would do well enough to get in.

But even if I do manage to do well & become registered I'm deathly afraid of hurting or messing up care for such innocent pure lives.

What do you believe is the best direction to try& get accepted into a neonatal unit, associate RN or bachelor or a complete sident route. If you don't think this would be a good field what else would you recommend?

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

Nursing is generally a 12+ hour shift, and the NICU is no different. If you're sappy but think you might want to work in the NICU, ask yourself if you can handle working for hours or days or weeks to save a baby's life, only to lose the battle in the end. Babies die in the NICU, sometimes often, and sometimes it's a very ugly death.

I don't know if you can handle it. Only you can determine that. The NICU is not all snuggling healthy babies. It's an ugly, ugly place sometimes. It's HARD, both physically and emotionally. I love it, though. Maybe you will too. Try to shadow a nurse in a level 3 NICU.