Advice - Is NICU very different to other Nursing Specialities?

[polkadotti]

So I'm in my first year of Nursing school and I already feel drained and just down, I don't enjoy it at all. My first placement was at an orthopaedics ward and I hated it! I'm considering not doing it anymore but other careers I'm interested in don't pay as well and also - I have always wanted to be an NICU nurse. I'm just worried that I will finish my degree and get into NICU and still not enjoy it. So I'm asking for advice - and if NICU is different to normal nursing. Obviously I haven't had much of a taste of it yet but I don't want to waste 3 years of my life on a degree I won't end up using! Thanks everyone x

[RN403, BSN, RN]

Have you considered shadowing a NICU nurse? I would look into that so that you can see first hand if this will all be worth it for you.

Keep in mind that not all new grads get their desired specialty right out of school...you might have to put some time in on a unit that you don't desire or a LTC facility to gain experience before you can transition into your desired field.

[tinkerbell419]

I would advise you to try and get a placement on a nicu whilst doing your nurse training to see if you will like it or on a maternity unit. Where babies are concerned, it is quite different and specialised from paediatrics in terms of everything but what I can do is encourage you to learn or read up on baby basics. As a neonatal nurse you must be very careful with monitoring and controlling the baby's temperature and feeding. You could shadow or observe a mom breastfeeding or if there is a feeding team then spend a day with them or even the nurse practitioners. If there is a antenatal or postnatal ward spend time in these areas because it will help you to learn more about caring for babies.

I like to think of neonates as a unique little world, and its one of the best worlds ever but take it one step at a time.

[jennylee321]

Try to look into other specialties and shadow in them if possible. Even if you do end up loving NICU you might have trouble getting a job in the area depending on the job market when you graduate. Moving forward in nursing school you should have a list of other areas you would still be happy working in. Also consider that ortho is a very heavy unit to work in, just because you hated it doesn't mean you'll hate all adult nursing. I can't imagine myself liking ortho but I loved cardiac as a student and also enjoyed a placement in gen surg.

[hayloftbham]

If you already hate nursing, the best thing to do is to find a different career path. The NICU is a tough world and takes a dedicated person to actually be competent in this specialized field. Also, money should never be your motivator for success. Nursing is not a get rich profession.

[JeanOfAllTraits]

I have never loved ortho, from my first day of clinicals as a 1st semester student on an ortho unit, to today as an adult critical care float. I do, however, love nursing. There are places where some of us find our niche, others have just a few places that definitely AREN'T our cup of tea. We learn all of it because we need to be competent in all of it. A NICU nurse passes the same boards as a LTC nurse and an Orth nurse. Give yourself time, be open to other specialities and re-evaluate in a semester. :)

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

You will work on all different units and get a feel for different things. I never really hated anything but I really disliked labor and delivery...just not for me! Don't judge everything by one floor. But if your truly hate it and just can't envision your self going any further then you need to change paths. NICU nursing is a whole different world but you have to get thru the fundamentals of nursing school first. And NICU jobs are hard to come by so don't put all you ducks in one row.