How long did it take to get comfortable working in NICU

ol221 · Mar 13, 2009

Hi dear

As far as you explained it looks a light workload in nursery, you know there are lots of advantages which outwiegh the neonatal units workloads, remember you shouldnot carry and change position of heavy patients, you shouldnot clean and suction the adult patients, they wont say anything to interfere in your plan, you see the family members on and off even when they stay with kidos they r very thankful and understanding. in some area of NICU nurse patient ratio is 1 to 4 for feeder and growers. Just try to manage your time and prioritize the task to be done and always set a time aside for unexpected happening, admission, inservice and so on.

In my opinion if you work there longer you will get more expert in how to be more organized. I know what do you mean you should be working like two person at the same time but in my unit we have a strong cooperation and usually one person at a time is doing something that could attend the emergencies, phone calls, door buzz, alarms and so on. wish you luck.

I love NICU :nurse: :typing

helicoptergal, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2009

Hi, I know what you mean and I am totally there with you. I am just off orientation and I am starting out just like you feeders and growers in their own rooms and they are all p.o. feeders and I feel overwhelmed. I remember the my preceptor telling me that it will take 1 to 2 years to completely feel comfortable. So I really hold on to that, and feel lucky at the end of my day if everything is organized and everyone is fed and happy and the charting is up to date. Take care!! You are doing good.

NeoNurseTX, RN · Mar 13, 2009

Level III has a lower ratio and not a lot of bottle feeds. Do you think more critical kids would be up your alley?

Of course you can EASILY be running all shift with more acute kids but it's way less repetitive.

nicu4me · Mar 13, 2009

I am new also and would rather have the 2 HFOV than 3 crying nipplers all due at the same time. However, it's a nice break from not knowing what is going to happen during the shift as far as orders, extubations, etc. They said a good year for me too. I think all of us that are new are struggling a bit, especially those of us that came from different areas. How is your NICU set up? I am curious, you said that they all have different rooms? Are there several in rooms or seperate?

NeoNurseTX, RN · Mar 14, 2009

Our level II is a separate floor and each baby has their own room. I would hate to work like that.

Level III is divided into about 7 pods, each pod has two rooms (that are connected by a little bumpout in the building that you can stand in if you need to see both rooms. Each half pod can hold up to 8 babies but you usually see 6 in a half pod. There are I think two supply rooms on each side of the floor and a huge supply room in the middle hall. Near each supply room are rooms with meds, milk fridge, and ABG machines.

bumblebeegaga · Mar 15, 2009

Hi NICUnewbie2,

Our NICU set up is each baby (Level I, II & III) has a private room which can accommodate both parents if they choose to room in. I usually feel okay if all of my 3 patients are feeders and growers. I dislike the most is that 2 straight bottling babies and one critical baby (either on NCPAP, NIPPV) or any babies with IVs. Whenever I sit down to bottle one baby, there's alwasys something wrong with the critical one (brady, desat...). Especially with the seperated room, I feel I cannot get to the other baby in time.....hate it.

NICURN29 · Mar 15, 2009

It took me about a year to get comfortable, I would say. And I have been there over two years now, and once in a while things are thrown at me that I am still not comfortable with! But for the most part, I can handle almost anything now.

We have one large room with a NICU side and an intermediate side (and three private/isolation/developmental rooms that we use for the lowest gestation or sickest kids). On the NICU side, we usually have either two sicker kids or three stable kids (but still on CPAP or IVs or both). We hardly ever have a three-baby assignment with a vent in it. On the other side, we have three to four feeder/growers.

rockstarjk · Mar 15, 2009

I worked as a clinical extern in the NICU (a level 2 advanced) and we had a 1:3-4 ratio. Time management was really the main thing with feeders/growers. If you knew you had 3 babies that were due for a 0900 feed...start at 0830. Even if the baby isn't screaming...changing the diapers and doing the vitals would get them awake. That's what I found anyway!

stephkneew, ASN, BSN · Jan 22, 2012

Not sure if you will get this message since it's been so long...I am debating leaving mom/baby to go to a level 3 NICU and was wondering how you like it now (unless you ended up leaving)? I really like working with the babies but I get stressed easily and like how my current job is low stress. Any advice? The hospital setup I interviewed at also has private rooms for each baby and the nurses get 2 level 3 babies or 3 level 2 babies at a time.