Calling all Nursery Nurses!

serenity1 · Apr 25, 2011

Well, it isn't easy to get a job right after graduation anywhere right now in most places. It depends on what you mean by nursery...well baby or nicu? In my hospital, NICU is separate and well baby and post partum go together. Sometimes you are a post partum nurse for mom and baby and sometimes you are in the nursery with the feeder/grower or withdrawal babies. I lucked out and did get hired right after graduation as post partum. It really depends on your area. In the nursery, I usually feed, diaper and assess the babies. I will help the other nurses on the floor out by doing all the baby labs like bilirubin scan and newborn screenings. I take respite babies so mom can sleep. Sometimes I give basic meds. I would say I am in the nursery maybe 1x per month. I mostly take care of mother and baby. Hope this helps...good luck to you!!

Rini456 · Apr 25, 2011

Thank you so much for the info! I was talking about well baby:)

punkydoodlesRN, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2011

Hi! Just wanted to say good luck and tell you how it works where I am. I actually work on postpartum, but we're side-by-side with nursery. All hospitals are different. Mine doesn't have couplet care, so mom and baby have separate nurses.

Our nursery nurses bathe, vitals, monitor wt and keep track of feedings. Our facility encourages rooming-in, but nursery will keep baby if mom wants rest. They also perform newborn screens, do pku and vitK, bili blankets and assist with circs.

rn/writer, RN · Apr 25, 2011

I do postpartum couplet care, working with moms and babies. Very rewarding. I don't know too many places that are hiring new grads right now, but I wish you the best.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Apr 26, 2011

This is a popular field to be in right now for whatever reason, and the jobs are few and far between. But sometimes if you hit the market at the right time you'll find a job here. The thing is, most nurses are not going to be just 'nursery nurses' as the couplet care (as Miranda said above, caring for baby AND mom together) trend continues.

I work now in a place that has a nursery staffed with two RNs that do admits after delivery, care for sick newborns (not sick enough for NICU), and do some respite care if mom is sick or tired. The floor nurses are still responsible for baby if Mom is a pt on our unit. But I hear talk that that our unit is going to be renovated and the nursery will not be as big nor staffed as it is right now. Everyone on our unit is cross-trained to work both the floor and the nursery, so there is no one group that does 'nursery' and the other 'postpartum'. Naturally, there are some people who are more comfortable doing one or the other, but we all have to be competent in both areas.

Just so you are aware of this when you get out....good luck!