I visited the NICU today.

[dixienurse2be]

hey everyone...i'm just a first year student but I got to visit the Regional NICU at UAB Hospital in Birmingham,AL today. One of my good friends who is in school also has a little boy that has a lot of heart problems and was in the NICU for awhile after he was born. We were in town for a convention and she went to visit the NP who took care of her son and she let us walk through and look around. The smallest baby there was 1lb. 6oz. and was about 4 in. long...he was SO tiny. I had an idea that I might like to work in L&D or NICU but this absolutely confirmed it for me. My heart went out to every baby there and I think it would be such an amazing feeling to make a big impact on such a helpless little life. My question to you guys is...how hard is it to get a NICU position right out of school? Do you have any suggestions on how to make it easier? Thanks guys!

[prmenrs, RN]

It's not hard to get a NICU slot as a new grad--we have several threads about this, and the concurrent question of whether to get the "year of med-surg" first. (answer: NO, NO, NO)

Look for a teaching hospital w/a THOROUGH new grad program. Search this forum (including the "stickies") for new grad threads.

I'd be willing to bet a lot that the baby you mentioned was longer than 4"!

[dixienurse2be]

Thanks for replying...i was wondering about the year of med-surg that most people seem to do. The baby probably was a lot longer than 4 inches now that I read back over that...i think my mind was somewhere else when I typed it. I have that problem a lot..my fingers move faster than my brain. Lol. Anyways...thanks again.