If I can't have NICU...

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

So the hospital at which I most want to work has no NICU spots right now. It is by FAR the best NICU within the area I can travel, and I hear there will likely be jobs soon. (btw, sorry if I'm a little disjointed here, I'm riding the Nyquil Express tonight. Stupid sinuses!) So I'm planning to work in another unit at this hospital and then transfer rather than going to another hospital's unit and then quitting. There are jobs open here in the PICU, Peds Cardiac ICU, L&D, and Peds ER. I'm leaning away from L&D bc of my back, and away from P-ER because I don't think I can handle the child sexual assault cases. So that leaves PICU and P-CICU. Any thoughts? The NICU here is a level III regional transport unit - we (and I say WE because I just did my senior preceptorship here) do EVERYTHING. We occasionally transport out gut transplants, but we can do those here too if the parents can't afford to go to CHOP. That's it.

Anybody have an opinion on which would be better as a preparation for NICU?

[tracy6fan]

You will surely learn alot in any of those units that could apply to the NICU. I worked in a PedsER for a few years when I became burned out after 9 years in the NICU, and I felt like I had never been a nurse before. I learned so much practical knowledge that you're not exposed to otherwise. It really helped me become better at parent teaching when I returned to the NICU.

Any of those child abuse cases are sad. The burns were the worst for me. It seemed like there was nothing you could do to relieve the pain. What bothered me most about the SA cases were the parents. I'd say over 90% of the kids brought in for SA exams had parents in a custody battle, fabricating reasons to win their case. We saw alot because we were the regional referral center, but it's unimaginable why an accusing parent would lie and put their child through that exam.

Let us know what you decide and good luck in your new position.

[Mags4711, RN]

I would suggest PICU over PCTU (what we call it here). The only reason being that you will likely be exposed to many more things other than only cards. Cards is wonderful, I am NOT knocking it at all, but if you really love NICU and the variety that you get, I think you might be kind of disappointed in only having cardiacs.

The other side of that coin is that cardiacs are FASCINATING, and there is a lot to learn. I must say, however, that most Cardiac nurses I know are very numbers and monitor/pump focused. You have to be when you are titrating drips and watching for rhythm changes like they are. But I think somewhere along the line, occasionally the patient is lost in the protocols and data. So bearing that in mind, you have to reflect on what kind of nurse you feel you are.

Why don't you interview for each, and then ask to spend a shift, or part of one, shadowing a nurse. That's what I have done each time I changed areas in nursing. It really helped.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

just to update... four NICU jobs went up on the site yesterday, and I have an interview for Monday - I put in on the computer site for PICU and PCICU before the NICU spots went up, and then yesterday I stuck my name in for the NICU spots too. I know they went up yesterday morning, so if it's a matter of timing, I think I did okay. EEEeeeeeee!!!

That was excited girly squealing. There may have also been flapping of hands. Just fyi.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

I'm not a girl, so I'm going to stop short of the whole squeal/flap maneuver, but I'm really happy for you. Good luck on Monday!

[hica19]

wow congrats for even landing an interview! I originally wanted to do NICU. However it seemed that everywhere I applied to had no NICU openings. I thought if I went only that route, I would be doomed to not find any jobs. At one point my parents thought me doing NICU for my preceptorship was a big waste (the hospital does not hire new grads). However even though I didn't get NICU, I did get a job offer in pediatrics acute care that I am really happy about =)