Are You Asking ME?!

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Specializes in NICU.

So I've been in the NICU for about 15 months now .... on my own for almost exactly 1 year.

While I do feel tons more comfortable now compared to how I felt when I first started, I still feel like I'm a brand new NICU nurse.

Some of the new grads are just getting off orientation .... some have been on their own for a few months, some a few weeks, and some are brand new on their own. So I get kind of taken aback when one of them asks me a question or for my advice .... I start looking around like "are you asking me?!" lol. They're asking me to come look at their IVs? They're asking me to help them with lab draws?

But I'm still new! Then I think, wait a minute .... I've been a NICU nurse for a year now, so I guess I know a little something, right?!

Don't get me wrong, I love answering questions and helping out these new grads. Oh man, it makes me feel so good to be able to answer a question or help them with something I know! A few weeks ago I was pod partners with a newer nurse and then had an orientee with me (her regular preceptor was charge for that night and it was her last week of orientation so she was doing everything), so I was answering tons of questions. I was surprised at how much I knew and how far I've come. It's like it was a huge confidence builder for me. Granted there were plenty of things I didn't know so we'd just go to the more experienced nurses for help, but I kind of surprised myself. I guess I just haven't realized how far I've come.

What about the rest of you? How's it going after the first year or two? Are you loving NICU as much as I do? Are you surprised at how you feel after this first year or two? I'm surprised because there at first I didn't think I would EVER feel even remotely comfortable. There's plenty of things I'm still scared to death of, but I'm surprised at how some of the things that scared me at first, aren't as scary to me now and that I feel somewhat comfortable.

-Happy NICU nurse :D

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Specializes in NICU (Level 3-4), MSN-NNP.

RainDreamer,

It's so funny that you posted this today because I was having EXACTLY the same thoughts at work the other night. I have been an RN in NICU for a year now, and I was an extern for a year before that, but I still often feel like one of the new kids on the block. However, more and more experiences seem to be pointing to the fact that I might actually have some clue what I'm doing now- and like you, I was never sure that day was coming, LOL...

For example, the other night I found out one of the preceptors for our externs is leaving to do travel nursing. The charge nurse approached me to ask if I would mind precepting occasionally for the rest of the summer, since the poor extern was going to be all alone. My first thought was, "What? Are you crazy? :uhoh21:You want me to teach someone something about this? I don't know anything!" But the more I thought about it, I began to realize that I really am beginning to become much more confident with myself, and that people are starting to seek me out for help. I have been asked to start IVs for other nurses after they have missed, or have been given more and more complex assignments recently. I was especially proud of my 24 week, severely IUGR, septic admission I got last week with only 10 minutes warning... I managed to have everything under control (giving 4 antibiotics, two rounds of blood, setting up for line placement, etc) without even feeling anxious that I was screwing it all up.

Sometimes the confidence others display in you can be more reassuring than even the confidence you have in yourself... For the last three nights, I have been caring for a baby girl with a complex heart defect. She was scheduled for surgery this morning. Last night, when her parents came in and found me there, her mother began to cry. She said, "I am so glad you will be here with her tonight. I wouldn't want anyone else to be with her on this night." I was flattered, and overwhelmed that I had been able to develop such a rapport with this family. Not very far in the past, the very thought of caring for such an unstable pre-op heart would have scared the ever-loving daylights out of me. Now, I guess I am able to do it well enough to at least convince the family that I know what I am doing, LOL... It's a weird feeling, but at the same time, an awesome one. I love this job and can't imagine going anywhere else!:lol2:

P.S. Everyone pray for my heart baby, by the way. It's not going to be an easy day for that very sweet babydoll...:(

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RainDreamer,

I am glad to hear that things are clicking for you. It is funny because the other day I was doing a search of the NICU forum, looking for info on proper positioning in the NICU and I found a thread started by you when you were still new to the NICU about being unsure at times, etc... You were very helpful to me when I wrote my 'oh crap what am I doing in the NICU' post. It is nice to see that things are coming together for you.

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Specializes in midwifery, NICU.
:yeah::yeah::yeah:...LoveTheNicu....GO YOU!!!!Keep the enthusiasm and spirit goin girl!!!!!!!
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Specializes in midwifery, NICU.

Oh..and have sent a prayer to my whoever about your wee baby! Hope she does well!

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Specializes in NICU.

Rain, thanks for posting this. And LoveTheNICU, thanks for your comments, too. I'm still on orientation in the NICU and although I have a lot more shifts with my preceptor still to go, I've been feeling incredibly overwhelmed and thinking I'll never pick this up.

I knew it would be tough, but I didn't have a clue as to how much I would need to know :uhoh21:

So, you're saying it DOES get better . . . ;)?

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

Your post made me smile, remembering the "good old days".

I started in the NICU as a new grad, one of about 20 oriented over the course of a summer. Our manager had a rule requiring that every shift be staffed with at least 50% "experienced" nurses, meaning that they had at least 2 years seniority on that unit. I eventually went to evening shift, which was heavily staffed with experienced nurses, many of whom had more than 10 years seniority, so I was always considered the "newbie".

I had been there for about 2 years when hubby took a summer off to go back to school. I started to pick up occasional extra shifts, mostly on nights. One night I went into work, and was assigned to one of the intensive care areas, a portion of the unit with 12 beds that was staffed with 8-10 nurses. As the night wore on, I began to realize that a number of nurses were coming to me with questions. It was flattering, and I was able to answer them, but I was a little puzzled as to why there were asking me. I then looked around the room and realized that I was the senior person in that area of the unit, and everyone else had oriented the summer after I did. At that point, I was literally scared sh**less that I would be called on to assist with something really complex.

The night passed uneventfully, thank Goodness! I mentioned my experience to my manager the next day, who grinned and stated that I was a well-respected senior nurse. I held my head up high that day :)

Congratulations to all of you who are making your way and becoming expert NICU nurses. You should be proud!

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

I just finished up my 2nd year in NICU, and also was amazed to find myself regularly in charge, precepting, representing the unit at hospital conferences/events, answering questions, etc. While I don't think I'll ever feel completely comfortable, I can honestly say I can admit the "pants" off anything that comes in the door... I'm excited to see how I'll feel after another few years... still need to learn cardiacs and ECMO...hopefully starting next month!

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Specializes in OBGYN, Neonatal.

This is good to read! I'm hoping to feel that way in a year or so!

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Specializes in NICU.

Thank you all for sharing your stories and thoughts! This is great to see how far we've come and to hear from those veteran nurses about their experiences.

LoveTheNICU - I said a prayer for your cardiac baby. It's funny that you posted about that because just before I had posted this I had a pre-op cardiac kid that had multiple cardiac anomalies, sick little guy. I took care of him for 2 weeks and really became close with the parents ..... so I know what you mean about developing such a rapport with the family. He went on to have his surgery and is in PICU now, still pretty sick, but I do keep him and his family in my thoughts. How did your little one's surgery go?

Some of you posted about being comfortable with admissions. I'm totally NOT comfortable with admissions, even now. I mean give me a 32 weeker and I'll be happy as all can be! But a 24 weeker?? Ahhhhhh! Maybe because my first admit ever was a 24 week train wreck .... maybe it just totally traumatized me. Cardiac admits scare the hell outta me too. Do you ever feel comfortable with admits like that though? Maybe it'll just take me some more time (a lot more time actually) ..........

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