How to get a job in the NICU

[Nurse2bArielle4life]

Hello!

New nurse here looking for advice on best way to get a job in the NICU. I live in Boston so jobs here are super competitive, any advice is much appreciated! thank you!

[adventure_rn, MSN, NP]

We have a fairly active specialty board, and this question comes up fairly often. I'd recommend that you read through some of our past forums:

https://allnurses.com/nicu-nursing-neonatal/

[jasskaRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, RN]

I worked as a CNA on mother/ baby and some of the nurses on post-partum worked in the NICU as well.

Maybe try to get hired on Post-partum (more hands-on newborn care than on L&D), and after a couple of months working on the unit tell the DON/ charge nurse that you're interested in working NICU if an opening comes up. Your experience with newborns and teaching moms about newborn care that you gain on post-partum may be useful in the NICU, and you would already be an internal applicant which would put you ahead of other RNs applying from outside.

Peds experience might open the door for you too, but it's on post-partum where you will be taking care of newborns so I would think that kind of experience would be better.