Dream NICU

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OK, so this is my ideal, dream NICU, let's see if it exists anywhere (or at least how close we can get). My wife and I have to live here for three more years while I finish school and pay back my "scholarship", but then we'd like to move. Where? You tell me!

I'd like a Level III NICU. I love deliveries, so the ideal would need to be in a delivery hospital. If at all possible, I'd like to do ECMO and surgeries (I got to see some when I was working at the big university hospital before school, seems really cool) but I don't know if there is a place that does both. (If I HAD to pick, I'd probably pick deliveries)

I want to become an NNP, so ideally there would be an NNP program nearby and the unit would use NNPs. As an NNP, I don't want to be the resident's scut-monkey, taking care of just feeder-growers while the residents get the involved (read "interesting") cases. I do know that there are a lot of places that either a) don't have residents or b) the NNPs are treated like residents and take the same type of patient.

We'll have one little one in July and plan to have more, so we'd want someplace "family friendly". Oh, and it'd be really great if it was near the beach! :-) My wife and I really want to live on the coast. Is that too much to ask for? :p Well, lets see how close we can get! BTW, she's a stay at home mom and if she goes back to work, she's an elementary teacher, so she can go anywhere.

Bryan

PS-We really liked North Carolina when we visted there even though we were nowhere near the coast. If we couldn't be on the beach, then someplace like Charlotte, Asheville or Nashville (I know it's not in NC, but we like it too!) would be ok. But we REALLY want to live by the ocean! :-)

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Specializes in Neonatal.

I work at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida. We're a Level III , do ECMO occasionally, there's surgeries. Our interns, fellows, attendings, etc are from USF and a few from All Children's Hospital. The ARNPs we have the same type patients as the residents. It's not North Carolina, but it's not too far from the coast and beaches. Great hospital to work for and the NICU is great! A lot of teamwork among fellow nurses.

:nurse:

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Have you considered UNC Chapel Hill, Duke or East Carolina University? East Carolina is closer to the coast, don't think they ECMO, but they have a big NICU unit. UNC and Duke are about two hours from the beach. I have a good buddy who is an NNP at Duke if you need specifics.

Asheville NC has a NICU at Mission Hospital, but I am not sure if they ECMO or if they use NNPs. Charlotte has a big NICU at Carolinas Medical, and Wiston Salem has a big NICU associated with Bowman Gray medical school.

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Specializes in NICU.

Columbia-Pres offers much of that - delivery hospital, although the RN waits in a separate area and the MD/NP attends the delivery itself and sprints the baby into you. ECMO and every surgery except lung transplants. Near the coast, NP schools nearby. And our NPs actually get the interesting cases - they are on a separate team from the residents, and do all the cardiacs. They're pretty independent.

Downside: New York is expeeeeensive.

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Specializes in L&D, Newborn Nursery, NICU.

I work in Orlando, FL at Winnie Palmer Hospital. We have a new (2 year old) state of the art facility that has level III and we are one of the go-to hospitals in the state for ECMO.

Our level III nurses are all trained for the DR with those who want to go on DR calls more often welcome to sign up for the DR team. We sometimes have 3-4 nurses and RTs at different deliveries at one time depending on how busy the day is. On average there are 45-55 deliveries per day here with all of the c-sections attended by the NICU team and any complicated vag deliveries.

We are one of the largest NICUs in the nation (last time I heard we were the third largest in the US).

We currently have 4 NNPs who work in our NICU. They are involved in the care of all the NICU kids and do a lot of independent work in the level II NICU.

As far as NNP programs-there is one person here doing their NNP work through UF online. She only has to go up there to school about once or twice a month.

We are only about an hour from the east coast and there are really nice beaches on either coast. :D

I love my job and this hospital. :redbeathe There is a lot of good support from administration and we are actually starting the process of seeking magnet status now as well.

If you ever get the chance to come down here I'd be more than happy to give you a tour!

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I work at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida. We're a Level III , do ECMO occasionally, there's surgeries. Our interns, fellows, attendings, etc are from USF and a few from All Children's Hospital. The ARNPs we have the same type patients as the residents. It's not North Carolina, but it's not too far from the coast and beaches. Great hospital to work for and the NICU is great! A lot of teamwork among fellow nurses.

:nurse:

Do you know if Tampa General has a NICU internship for new graduate nurses?

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Specializes in Neonatal.
Do you know if Tampa General has a NICU internship for new graduate nurses?

I heard that they're not taking as many new grads as they have this last year because more experienced nurses are needed; but...you can always try calling the Nurse Manager and talk to her directly.

:nurse:

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I've heard lots of great things about ALL CHILDREN'S and Winnie Palmer in Florida. Good luck!

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Specializes in NICU.

Well, I'm not on the coast but there is a lake!

Chicago, IL is a fantastic town with many many many NICUs. I work in a level III NICU at Rush and 17 hospitals send over their "High Risk" moms and neonates. All nurses are trained to attend deliveries. We have 7 or 8 NNPs. The residents and NNPs take care of the same level patients, and the NNPs do A LOT more than the residents sometimes! A LOT MORE!!! I believe we have 11 Neos.

We have major surgeries on-site (sometimes I play OR nurse for bedside surgery), we do have ECMO too.

One thing you have to know about ECMO: Most hospitals do not train all nurses to sit ECMO right away. It takes specialized training and years of experience before a nurse can sit in the ECMO team. We have an RN transport team as well (must have at least 3yrs experience).

I'm not a fan of attending deliveries, so I don't do it much, but those nurses who like it can request to be "1st admit nurse" and carry the "delivery pager".

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Specializes in NICU.

vanderbilt children's hospital nicu - level 3c - ecmo, deliveries, head cooling, bedside surgeries (sometimes), transports, mostly private rooms, NASHVILLE.

children's hospital is fairly new...maybe 7-8 years old??? very nice...connected by 4th floor hallway crossover to adult hospital with L&D and original nicu (one of the first ever NICUs...where Dr. Stahlman adapted the FIRST ever ventilator to be used on neonates)...where deliveries are attended...)

vanderbilt school of nursing - top ranked and very well respected nnp program...mostly online, allowing you to work (if desired) while completing program...great benefits and great tuition benefits if working full time...

nnps do have some of the feeder/growers but also some vent babies with other issues going on...but MD teams do seem to have the more complicated cases...on stahlman side (near L&D) mostly staffed by nnps and fellows and occasionally residents...

nashville is great....very cultural...not near beach though :(

good luck

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