How to become a NICU nurse??

kmommy876 · Jan 24, 2009

My advice is to work really hard at nursing school, especially in your Mother/Baby and Peds classes. That way you'll have a great GPA to go with you enthusiastic personality and can wow the NICU staff at your interview.

I think it is also helpful to try to get a job in the NICU as a Nurse Tech your last semester or two so the transition will be easier and you will already have a foot in the door. Hope that helps a little. :wink2:

ksauce20 · Jan 24, 2009

Thank you KMOMMY that does help alot!! :)

dawnebeth · Jan 30, 2009

I help train nursing students in their third or fourth semester when they are doing their internships. We do have nursing students in the ICN, but this is often not encouraged by their instructors and we only get the top students in each class, usually with really high grade point averages. Having done their internship in an ICN almost guarentees that the new nurse will get hired there.

If your school does not do these internships (mine did not) or if you intern on a med/surg, that still is not a problem. I started straight out of nursing school into an ICN as an IP. All ICNs that I know of will give 12 week training courses to all new hires. This is invaluable training, even though you may feel like you never went to nursing school because preemies are completely different creatures than adults on a med/surg floor.

Good luck with your goals! I am rooting for you.

Dawn

HappyBunnyNurse · Jan 30, 2009

And don't fall for the old "you have to do med-surg first". You may hear that from instructors and experienced nurses but it really doesn't apply to NICU. I had to do med-surg first due to lack of NICU jobs in my area. I can honestly say all I got out of it that applies to my job now was time management skills.

dawnebeth · Jan 31, 2009

Exactly! I honestly don't know why this old chestnut 'do med/surg first' is still around. Why? If you know what you want from the beginning--go for what you want. Babies, and lots of them.

If sick preemies turns out not to be the right fit, then you can always go from the ICN to med/surg afterward. I've never cared for an adult since I left nursing school and I am totally fine with that. ;-)

Dawn