Attention Neonatal and L/D nurses

[ashleytrillo]

Hello I'm currently on my way to becoming a nursing student. I want to become a neonatal nurse and or work in the labor and delivery dept. People tell me its a hard dept because alot of bad things can go wrong with the babies. They say I won't be able to handle it. Is there any advice you can give, PROS and CONS, I really want this, and I'm going for it regardless of what people say. I just need some guidance.

Thanks:rolleyes:

Also, What degrees do you have, and what should I pursue to make this a reality?

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

Just wanted to wish you luck on your journey. I look forward to the responses from the LD and neonatal nurses. I also want to work with mothers and babies and will definitely pursue that goal.

[BrazoriaLVN]

I'm going for it regardless of what people say.

Thanks:rolleyes:

Then why would you ask for advice?

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

Then why would you ask for advice?

She just wanted guidance and pros and cons of this specialty.

[Isabelle49]

Hopefully you will receive an adequate, comprehensive orientation to either of the departments, but especially NICU. NICU is very specialized and required a knowledge of problems specific to neonates and premature infants. You would do well to get a reference book on that subject and become familiar with the information. The only way to experience it is to do it, so, I say do it. Best luck.

[stephie_love]

I just started in L&D myself, and I am a new grad. Although I don't have any good advice for you yet...don't let anyone tell you what you can and cannot handle! If it is your dream job, go for it! You won't know until you try, an you may surprise yourself :) Good luck!

[foreverLaur]

Are you looking for advice on being a postpartum nurse, NICU nurse, well baby nursery nurse, L&D nurse.... ?

[AngelofLTC]

Sounds like you're excited to become a nurse....for now concentrate on what you'll need to be accepted to nursing school. All the best in your studies!!! It will be hard but very rewarding.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I am a senior nursing student, so my exposure is only that of a student, so take that for what it is worth (which is not a whole heck of a lot). I was fortunate enough to do rotations through both L&D and NICU and I can share with you what I learned.

L&D Pros: mostly a happy place because babies are being born. The patients tend to be young (though not as young as they used to be). The patients are sometimes more educated on their condition (pregnancy, labor) and are anxious to be supported. Families generally are excited. Patient to nurse ratios tend to be low.

L&D Challenges: Birth plans that aren't realistic or in keeping with a hospital birth. Frightened fathers. Teen mothers. Drug addicted/alcoholic mothers. Family births that mean family members crowding the room and watching every move you make. A hospital nursing model that is not in keeping frequently with a holistic method of giving birth (lots of monitors and interventions). Participating in some choices that you may not agree with (ie: elective C-sections). Good situations turning very suddenly, aggressively, heart wrenchingly bad with only a hair's breath span of time to recognize it and do something about it. Deep sorrow when there is a loss of a mother and/or baby. People becoming parents who also have a host of other health issues due to modern technology having extended lives - you need to know about a lot more than just labor these days. Be prepared to care for the mother with cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, heart disease, etc.

NICU Pros: Very small patient population. Cleaning up poop is much easier and less distasteful in this population. Seeing sick babies go home healthy.

NICU Challenges: Babies being kept alive who obviously have zero chance of any quality of life because either nobody is willing/able to tell the parents it is time to let go or the parents themselves are not willing/able to either process that, believe it or simply bring themselves to discontinue treatment. And you are responsible for continuing to make this tiny being suffer because it is not your choice to make. Dealing with distraught parents and family members is a challenge. Frequently the "blame" for their distress gets placed on the nursing care because they lack an appropriate outlet and the nurse is convenient. Seeing a baby in a bad condition due to parental abuse or maternal drug/alcohol use during pregnancy is difficult emotionally. And when things go bad for the baby, it happens so very fast. You see babies whose skin is the consistency of gelatin. Who get neurological problems simply from being touched because they aren't supposed to BE here yet.

I enjoyed L&D but was disappointed in how sterile and arms length much of it was. More time is spent watching the monitors than working with the parents. I loved NICU, but seeing how often babies are kept alive despite overwhelming conditions that then lead to a massive financial and emotional strain on that family (including on siblings of that baby) for the rest of that child's life was difficult for me. I was stunned how often the survival rate is touted for micropreemies in the media, but how rarely that information is accompanied by what "alive" means. "Alive" and "thrive" are not synonymous. There are good NICU outcomes - but then there are the situations where your heart and mind just feel it is wrong. And continuing to do it anyway is your job, to a patient who cannot speak for him or herself at all.

Try not to have rose colored glasses on. These are very good specialties and have some very out-in-the-open good points and some very big nobody-likes-to-honestly-look-at-it-because-I-just-love-babies down sides. Keep an open mind as you go into your clinicals. You may be surprised. Most of us who had a specialty in mind when we started nursing school are no longer interested in what we thought we wanted. And there is more to these specialties than you see on A Baby Story on cable.

[ashleytrillo]

Thanks everyone for your responses, it nice having support from people who understand.