Goin from Level 3 to Level 2?

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.

I've worked level 3 NICU for 18 years now. I am going to try a few extra shifts in a level 2 NICU. I'm actually thinking it will be nice not to have such sick and sad babies to take care of! Has anyone ever worked level 2 or gone from level 3 to 2?

I don't always like the action that level 3 has...and the babies are SO SAD sometimes! I'm looking forward to some healthier babies!

My title should have read "GOING" oh well

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Specializes in Babies, peds, pain management.

Hi I work in a Level II and I love it!. I have tried Level III several times over the years and truthfully, I'm not cut out for it. But I learned a lot of useful things.

You will bring a great deal of skill and information to the unit but you will also learn a great deal. I'm assuming that the Level II is also a delivering hospital. Dealing with a "new" term newborn is always a joy and a challenge because you can't trust them or their mothers.:) Remember to be prepared for anything and let the baby prove him/herself.

You may find it boring but you may enjoy holding a baby that weighs more than a sack of flour.

Good luck!

asher315

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I did the same thing...tired of some disadvantages of level III and so I started in a Level II a while ago. They are trying to move to a level III because babies are shipped out all the time. It's very hard. I personally have found that with level II babies, you have many more term kids or near term kids that need CPAP or get antibiotics. Usually with preemies, the parents seem to understand that their baby will need to be hospitalized for a while and seem to be more accepting of that. With level II parents, I think they are more difficult to help because they were thinking they were going to have a perfectly normal delivery and baby, and when things don't go according to plan, they REALLY have a hard time with it. For example, having a 37 weeker with RDS on a cannula at 2-3 LPM breathing 80 times a minute and explaining to the mom that she really can't breast feed right now until breathing improves. That's been really hard for me to work with. Yet again, I really have a hard time with trying to save a baby that is really suffering which happens in level III! I think with working in a level II, it requires more patience on the part of the nurse without a doubt.

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.

That makes sense about the differences between level 2 and 3, thanks for the insight.

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Specializes in NICU Level III.
I did the same thing...tired of some disadvantages of level III and so I started in a Level II a while ago. They are trying to move to a level III because babies are shipped out all the time. It's very hard. I personally have found that with level II babies, you have many more term kids or near term kids that need CPAP or get antibiotics. Usually with preemies, the parents seem to understand that their baby will need to be hospitalized for a while and seem to be more accepting of that. With level II parents, I think they are more difficult to help because they were thinking they were going to have a perfectly normal delivery and baby, and when things don't go according to plan, they REALLY have a hard time with it. For example, having a 37 weeker with RDS on a cannula at 2-3 LPM breathing 80 times a minute and explaining to the mom that she really can't breast feed right now until breathing improves. That's been really hard for me to work with. Yet again, I really have a hard time with trying to save a baby that is really suffering which happens in level III! I think with working in a level II, it requires more patience on the part of the nurse without a doubt.

Yeah, I've noticed the parents of kids that are just there for abx or something are way more worrisome than the critical babies.

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