Anyone ever left NICU for adult ICU?

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2010

What do you really love about NICU?

I think you would do well in any ICU if you're doing well in your current area, but adult ICU is mainly geriatric ICU (unless you do trauma!).

neonatal_icu_rn · Jun 24, 2010

I love the challenge!! And it's amazing to see a baby admitted at 24 wks/650 grams go home as a healthy 4lb baby! Would really miss that.

Our hospital has a large SICU and MICU (we are actually the largest rural hospital in the US), so we should have a decent variety as far as age. I'm sure MICU is greatly geriatric, though. I wouldn't mind that. I worked stepdown pre/postop cardiac prior to NICU, so I'm a little familiar with that type of patient. I think I would prefer SICU.

KrisICU · Jul 20, 2010

HI!

I work SICU and love it. I waffled back and forth between NICU and SICU when I was a new grad. I am glad I chose SI, though I think about NICU every now and then. I agree that most Adult ICUs are geriatric ICUs, with chronic conditions taking up a majority of the beds...you will even see the same people over and over again.

I work in SICU-we take open heart surgery recoveries direct from the OR, and all major surgeries and surgeries with complications, such as craniotomies, exploratory laps and gastric bypasses above a certain weight. We also take respiratory failures and bedside dialysis (PRISMA) and Medical ICU overflow.

I think you might like the Surgical ICU better, as most of our patients get better and go home. Like NICU. Good luck whatever you choose-give us an update! :)

leigh0527 · Aug 10, 2010

Has anyone ever went from ICU to NICU? What are your thoughts/ideas regarding best way to go about doing so?

HazelLPN, LPN · Aug 19, 2010

I went from adult ICU (later MICU) to PICU and then added NICU. I did it gradually. After 37 years of taking care of adults, I cut down my hours to very part time in the MICU and started picking up contingent hours in a PICU where acuity had been high and they were always short staffed and asked if any adult ICU nurses would be willing to cross train and pick up contigent hours. I jumped at the chance. I developed a true love for pediatrics and the smaller patients were much easier on my body then many of the obese or morbidly obese patients that I was used to caring for in MICU. I ended up working many hours of overtime (mind you I was pusing 60 at the time) that summer because I loved it so much and I was envigorated that I could go to work without worrying about the lifts and my failing strength. I also loved seeing the kids get better so much quicker than adults. Many times they would come in so sick and then leave the hospital with no complication. It wasn't easy, kids are not just little adults...they can turn on a dime and don't give the same warnings as adults do that things are wrong. It was also nice to know that an old dog can learn new tricks if that dog is motivated.

I started doing NICU that winter. I never got cross trained, I simply jumped right in. I normally took care of feeder/growers or stable vented kids.....very rarely did I care for the extremely tiny premies...they needed a REAL NICU nurse....or better yet a uterus.

You might want to call the nurse manager of a local NICU and see if you could get cross trained and pick up some contingent hours to see if you like it before you made the switch. You already have a lot of skills working in adult ICU that would be desirable in a NICU setting.

Best to you,

Mrs H.

simvee · Aug 28, 2010

I've worked with one NICU nurse who had a lot of trouble just transitioning to med/surg, but I think that was a personality thing. I worked with two or three other ex-NICU nurses who did well in adult ICU. You just have to be openminded and open to new learning.

I think I want to pursue PICU or peds surgical heart if and when I tire of the adult world.

Good luck.