Ok...Question on NICU training

[maryshome8]

I've been accepted to the Nursing major at a college in Virginia and I'm moving this weekend to go live with my Dad to save money (this will be interesting since I am 37 and have a 2 year old).

The college there is far less competitive...they allow only 20 students...but get this: they only filled it for 14 slots for the fall 2006 class.

Anyway....obviously this is my best shot at getting into a BSN program and I have an added plus: The Director of the Nursing Department used to work with my mother when my mom was Director of Nursing at the local hospital...so I am hoping this goes a long way when they sit down to review applicants.

On the NICU Training: Is there anything specific I need to focus on or request when I start the program? We have several Level 4 NICU's in the Charlotte, NC area, and this is where I want to spend my career.

What are my chances of perhaps getting this or working with newborns as a new graduate?

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

On the NICU Training: Is there anything specific I need to focus on or request when I start the program? We have several Level 4 NICU's in the Charlotte, NC area, and this is where I want to spend my career.

What are my chances of perhaps getting this or working with newborns as a new graduate?

There is virtually no NICU training in nursing school. You will touch on some topics during your pediatrics and obstetrics rotations, and you will probably get to observe a day or two in a NICU during clinicals, but that's it. If your school has a final course your senior year where you get to choose what area you concentrate on, then you can request NICU, but that is right before graduation so there is no reason to worry about it now. These courses are called many different things (practicums, role transitions, capstones, etc.) but they all basically put you one-on-one with a preceptor in the area of your choice. You would follow the preceptor nurse's schedule for a certain amount of hours (some schools do over 300 hours, others require much less) and basically go through an orientation type thing. There is no guarantee this will get you a job in a NICU as a new grad, but it certainly helps to have it on your resume as experience. By spending any amount of time in a NICU before graduation, you will get exposure to what it's really like to be a NICU nurse. It's often not what many nursing students think, and nurse managers sometimes take a gamble by hiring new grads who don't have any NICU exposure because sometimes they realize it's not what they want and leave after all the time and money was spent to train them. However, it is common practice to have new grads working in the NICU so don't worry too much.

Another option is to try and get a job in one of the NICUs near you. Some hire nursing assistants, others allow volunteers, etc. I know some NICU nurses who started out working part-time as secretaries in a NICU. Anything you can do during school to get some NICU exposure will help you in the long run. Just don't expect your school to teach you much, like I said. It's a very specialized field and you'll learn everything you need to know when you start working as an RN.

Good luck.