Job Upgrade- level 2 to a level 4!

[southeRNsally]

Hi everyone!

I have been a nurse for 2.5 years and of that have worked in a Special Care Nursery level 2 for a year and a half. I love taking care of our critically ill infants and recently just accepted a job offer in a level FOUR NICU! My goal was a level 3, but I'll take it!!

I love any opportunity to learn and care for critically ill neonates, but I want to go into my new position with a base knowledge so that I can apply it and not get as overwhelmed.

At my current position, I just stabilize the sick babies and transfer them to level 3 facilities. Mostly we see RDS babies or premie babies that will need more help than we can provide. I'm great with the stabilizing, but not the chronic care. (any infant requiring O2 for >6 hours, we have to transfer).

AND that's where I need advice! What can I do/study/review to help me prepare and build on my base knowledge from working in a level 2. I know newborn physiology and ABGs and I'm a pro at resuscitation, it's the chronic care and vents and other such chronic issues that I don't normally see that I'd like to study up on.

Any resources/ books/ websites/ personal experience & opinions would be much appreciated!!

-Sarah

[TraumaSurfer]

double post

[TraumaSurfer]

There have been a lot of threads addressing this including:

https://allnurses.com/nicu-nursing-neonatal/neonatal-reference-books-854848.html

There are also threads started by Adult and ED nurses making the transition. I had no problem with starting in NICU since I became intrigued with neonates assisting on transports. But, the NICU was awesome and loved to teach. Now, while traveling I find some are not like that at all.

If this is a good unit which has selected you over many other applicants, run with it. They will provide you with the training, education and reading material.

Level 3 or 4 NICU is also very different than a chronic care unit (with ventilators) for the NICU grads awaiting transition to home or a facility.