Elitist Attitude?

[Neo_Nurse]

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day (she's a nurse as well) and she mentioned the idea that neonatal nurses tend to have an elitist attitude more so than floor nurses. What do you think about this?

Considering I just began working as a NICU nurse I was not aware of this so called attitude or sense of betterment among NICU nurses. Do you think this is an accurate statement? If so why?

I have always gotten the sense that most non NICU nurses do not envy our chosen field. More often than not I find myself defending my choice to take care of little babies but I don't mind because its what I want to do.

I'm interested to hear what you all think about this statement...

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

I like it when the instant the OB hands the baby to one of us, a family member says, "How much does s/he weigh?" Give me a minute, will ya!!

Oh yeah, that never fails! It's like they're born with a weight tattooed on their bottom or something.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

Or as you're drying him off and feeling for an umbilical pulse, they ask, "when are you going to circumcise him?" Ummmm, after he starts breathing???

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

Or as you're drying him off and feeling for an umbilical pulse, they ask, "when are you going to circumcise him?" Ummmm, after he starts breathing???

I got asked that in the Transitional Nursery immediately following a crash intubation when the PGE we were giving a cardiac made him apneic. Not... quite yet.

[prmenrs, RN]

I always had to take a deep breath, and NOT give the 1st, 2nd or 3rd smart-aleck remark I thought of when they said stuff like that!

I got in trouble recently when a Dad c/o to the NM because I was letting the baby suck on what he called a "jelly nipple". (pacifier) I told him the 1st big decision a parent needs to make is whether they want orthodontics or a psych!

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

I got in trouble recently when a Dad c/o to the NM because I was letting the baby suck on what he called a "jelly nipple". (pacifier) I told him the 1st big decision a parent needs to make is whether they want orthodontics or a psych!

:roll

You told him that?! You're my hero!!!!!!!!

I had a dad like that last week ..... yeah he was one of those. Wanted no pacifiers, wanted no PICC line, wanted no immunizations, wanted no feeding tube. Honestly I wanted to tell him just to take the kid home then since he didn't want our help!

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

We had a mom threatening to pull her kid's G-tube by herself since surgery refused to do it. And we let her take the kid HOME. Aaaaaawesome. [/sarcasm]

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

We had a mom threatening to pull her kid's G-tube by herself since surgery refused to do it. And we let her take the kid HOME. Aaaaaawesome. [/sarcasm]

Nice!

I always cuddle those kids and look at them with such pity. Can just imagine how miserable their life is going to be growing up with such nutjobs

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

Well, and apparently she started refusing abx because "the nurses don't know how to give them." What I *heard* is that a nurse questioned an order that turned out to be okay. Wasn't there, wasn't involved, but that's the story.

[mamma3munchkins]

I think I have a different prospective. My primary job is High Risk Antepartum, High Risk Postpartum, I am one of the few nurses on my unit that doesn't mind floating to the NICU when they need it. I worked high risk labor and delivery for 18 months at a major university hospital and would take care of a baby before NICU could get there. The last month I have spent the majority of my shifts in the NICU because we are so short. What can I say military hospitals sometimes don't plan well and since I am active duty I am the first to float as our civil service and contract threaten to quit.

I have always worked well with the NICU but I respect their report and round times. I call when my patients want to visit and I bring them over and orient them properly by having them wash their hands, how to touch , and what sounds and things they will hear. I listen to the nurses. We are short lactation consultants so when one of the moms has a breastfeeding problem they can call and if I am not slammed I will go over and help fit a nipple sheild or work with an everter as they really don't have as much experience but I am not the norm.

So I really think it depends on how you treat the environment and the nurses. We all cry when one of our Moms has a NICU baby that dies. I always tease them. I take care of the inside and you take care of them outside but that seems to be changing.

Allison