General advice - new grad in level IV

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Hi! I was just looking for general advice as a new grad starting in a level IV NICU. The unit is very high acuity, with a partner level III NICU that intakes all the babies (exceptions do exist which come in via special delivery unit, should something needing level IV be discovered before birth). The patients come to this unit from the level III NICU only if they need level IV services. So all of the patients are surgical, cooling, ECMO, etc.

Any tips as I start my orientation? Resources, books, videos, etc, to look over? Things you might recommend doing over the next two weeks? Anything you'd recommend doing specifically during orientation with hands on care? Things you wish you had known? General info on the most common diagnoses I'll see? Just relax and enjoy my two weeks, lol? Thanks for any help!

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Specializes in ICU, Home Health and Hospice.

Hi NN22,

I work in a level IV NICU and I have been there for one year now. Before I started, I looked over some general information in a book that I bought off Amazon, here is the link: Merenstein & Gardner's Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care, 8e: 978

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Thank you EmmRN! Such great tips and info. I appreciate it! I will definitely familiarize myself more with those diagnoses which I think will be helpful. :)

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I am starting in alever IV Nicu tomorrow (EEEK!) as my first RN job. I bought the book listed above and it has been a great book to look over. I can see it being very useful when I come upon a new issue I am not familiar with (which is everything right now!)

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Merenstein book is good. We were "required" to have it. Just go in ready to learn. Don't be overly confident. Ask questions. And ask again.

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