Do NICU's hire CNA's?

[tofutti]

Hi There,

Just wondering if NICU's generally hire CNA's? I'd like to do this on the side during nursing school but can imagine that they might need only RN's with their level of expertise in a unit like this.

My program won't start until fall so all I have is a brand new CNA card and no experience. But NICU is ultimately where I want to work when I become an R.N. so it would be interesting to start as an aide.

Also, I could only work about one shift a week during nursing school. Would this be too few hours to become good at the job?

Thanks,

:)

Tofutti

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Some do hire CNA's or sometimes even unlicensed personnel for neo tech positions. Where I work, our neo techs feed babies, do vitals, diaper changes, stock equipment, prepare formula, all kinds of things. One of our techs is in nursing school and works one shift per week. I think it's a great idea to get your foot in the door and to test the waters a little bit.

[Mags4711, RN]

Some do hire CNA's or sometimes even unlicensed personnel for neo tech positions. Where I work, our neo techs feed babies, do vitals, diaper changes, stock equipment, prepare formula, all kinds of things. One of our techs is in nursing school and works one shift per week. I think it's a great idea to get your foot in the door and to test the waters a little bit.

We also hire CNA's and UAP (unlicensed assistive personnel) as ICU Techs to do almost the exact same things Eric mentioned. I think of our ten or twelve techs, only three are NOT in nursing school (oops, four, one is one her way to Med School :) ).

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

Our techs just do stocking duties. No pt care, at all.

ETA: that sounded really abrupt. They've been a fabulous resource for me as a student in orienting to the unit. Just that they don't do patient care.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Just to go along with what elizabells said, before I become an RN I did try to get hired on at a local Level II/III NICU as a Patient Care Assistant II.

They advertised a preference for someone who was certified in an allied health field (I was a nursing student and EMT-I) and, after all, this was not only a Patient Care Assistant position, but a PCA II. ('That must involve a lot of patient care, my naive little brain thought.)

In actuality, the PCA II's worked the reception desk, and they sometimes got promoted to PCA III. (Momentary glimmer of hope.) What did the PCA III do, you ask? They stocked linens and supplies. The nurses provided all of the patient care. I didn't end up taking the job.

Moral of the story: Every place is a little bit different.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

All units are different.

When I was a senior in nursing school I took a job as a tech in a NICU at a children's hospital - and they never let me do any patient care. The most I ever got to do was hold some babies and feed one or two. Mostly, I was the unit secretary and I also cleaned equiptment and stocked the unit with supplies.

Honestly, I still loved it. I was in the middle of a very advanced NICU and I got to see a lot of stuff. The patient care stuff, that comes in time. I was willing to be patient and wait until I was an RN to do that stuff. Just being able to SEE the inside of a NICU was good enough for me. You pick up a lot of stuff just being there.

Plus it looks good on your resume because the NICU nurse managers will see that you've been in the NICU environment and still are interested in being a NICU nurse. They know that you understand it's not always a happy place, and that it can be a very stressful unit to work in. You're less of a hire risk.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

How about the general nursery. A student who worked with me, who eventually wants to do NICU was able to get a job there and loves it.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

How about the general nursery. A student who worked with me, who eventually wants to do NICU was able to get a job there and loves it.

:yeahthat: On the postpartum unit where I did my OB clinicals, there were techs in the Well Baby Nursery who did a lot of feeding, changing, etc.

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

Not in our unit, but the peds floors and the nursery and postpartum units use them. I don't think we have them in our L/D either.

[chadash]

:yeahthat: On the postpartum unit where I did my OB clinicals, there were techs in the Well Baby Nursery who did a lot of feeding, changing, etc.

And they call that a job? That's getting paid to enjoy sweet babies all day.

What a life!

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

And they call that a job? That's getting paid to enjoy sweet babies all day.

What a life!

I KNOW!!! It's like what some people think the NICU is like. It's because the RNs have seven mom/baby couplets apiece, and can't necessarily take care of all the babies in the nursery too. There is one RN assigned to just the nursery, but they tend to be tied up with admissions all day.

[chadash]

I KNOW!!! It's like what some people think the NICU is like. It's because the RNs have seven mom/baby couplets apiece, and can't necessarily take care of all the babies in the nursery too. There is one RN assigned to just the nursery, but they tend to be tied up with admissions all day.

Sounds like a dream for a nursing assistant though: all of the hands on, none of the admissions and scary stuff.