cross-train from L&D

[adpiRN]

I've been working in L&D for about a year. I'm not ready to leave L&D, but am thinking about asking if I could cross-train to NICU. I'm not even sure if they'll let me, but I'm just wondering if NICU nurses think it would be too overwhelming to work in the NICU only a few shifts a months. Do you really need to be full-time in the beginning to learn everything? I'm sure if they let me do it they'd only give me very stable babies and the feeders and growers.

Part of my desire to do this is also feeling a little exhausted and burnt-out from being full-time in L&D. It's very intense with lots of running around.

I guess my plan is if I can cross-train to NICU, I could drop down to part-time staff on L&D and then do OT shifts in NICU.

I'm not ready to leave L&D, because I want to stay on staff so they'll OR train me at some point. (plus there's more I want to learn there)

Do people who've worked in both NICU and L&D find NICU to be more steady of a pace and less exhausting than L&D?

That's my hope, but maybe it's not true.

How many babies can you have at one time?

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

NICU is just as chaotic as L/D, so looking for a break probably isn't in the cards. You could ask to cross train and then drop down, but can you afford to be part time if there is no time to be picked up and remember, you'd have to work 40 hours and then pick up more to have OT. We would use you as a PRN person, which we do if someone from PICU comes down. Also, would you feel comfortable working there without an orientation to the unit? It is a different world to go from L/D to NICU. I'd talk to the unit manager about this, maybe shadow someone for a day and then see how you feel.

[prmenrs, RN]

"NICU is just as chaotic as L/D...."

I totally agree. Unless it's a kinda small Level 2, you can just as burnt in the NICU.

[babennp]

Our hospital in the past has cross trained L/D nurses to NICU. Even the best L&D nurses have difficulty transitioning to this area. If your hospital has a good internship, you may do well. You must have a good foundation before you can build a strong building and the same applies for NICU. A good baby can turn bad in a matter of minutes. You may not need to be full time to learn the basics but I think it will be extremely difficult ito master the basics f you work only 2-4 shifts per month.

[littleneoRN]

From reading these boards, it seems like nurses have anywhere from one to four patients at a time. Depending on the level and design of the NICU, there may or may not be assignments with just feeder growers. I think the answer to questions likes much in what type of NICU you're talking about...small, large, Level II, Level III, surgical, etc. Can you tell us more? I would say that NICU can be equally intense and busy and may another emotionally difficult aspect to it too if things aren't going well for a baby. Good luck in your decision making!

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

Usually internship is for new grads, not people with experience. At least where I work it is. We have been super busy lately, and we are giving our floats and prns 4 kids...and most of them have IV's, O2, picc lines, uvc's, are npo on triple abx. It isn't just feeders.