L&D vs. Peds

[Ginyer]

Who do you find to be more prepared upon transferring to a level three NICU...L&D nurses or Peds nurses (not PICU). Just curious.

Thanks,

Ginyer

[NoCrumping]

Who do you find to be more prepared upon transferring to a level three NICU...L&D nurses or Peds nurses (not PICU). Just curious.

Thanks,

Ginye

Neither. Nicu is a world all unto itself. Nothing prepares you for NICU.It may seem like both of those you described would be a good way to prepare, but in my opinion, and lots of others, it wouldnt hurt you, but in no way would it "prepare" you, or make a better indication to success. I have seen nurses in practice for 10 plus yrs not be able to make it in NICU, and to the contrary, new graduates flourish and never leave. I started as a new graduate, and to be honest, nothing I learned in nsg school helped me in NICU right from the jump. Again, its a whole new world.....

[BranRN]

Peds nurses float to the NICU and NICU nurses float to peds, but I have never seen a L&D nurse float to the NI or vice versa.

[Ginyer]

Peds nurses float to the NICU and NICU nurses float to peds, but I have never seen a L&D nurse float to the NI or vice versa.

Sorry, I didn't mean float... I meant actually changing jobs. At our hospital we have plenty of openings in L&D and Peds but none of the hospitals here accept new grads in the NICU. I was told the best experience for an NICU nurse would be in ld and peds over well baby...just was wondering which would be more beneficial for nurse planning on eventually working in an NICU.

Thanks

[BranRN]

I understood what you meant.

I work in a level III NI and we are alway so short staffed and pull from the well baby nursery first, then peds if need be. I was just statng earlier the likely hood of a peds nurse going into the NI before an L&D nurse, at least thats how it is where I work. So I would assume that it would be the same for changing jobs. Although the NI is different on so many levels and whether you have L&D, peds, or NBN experience you will still get the same orientation no matter what kind of clinical experience you have, I would think.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

I was told the best experience for an NICU nurse would be in ld and peds over well baby...just was wondering which would be more beneficial for nurse planning on eventually working in an NICU.

I've actually heard it's better to go to the well baby nursery first if you can't get straight into NICU. People say that it helps to see the "normal" so that you're able to identify the "abnormal." Many times, my fellow NICU nurses and I will be calling the docs about something a baby is doing and they'll just tell us that it's normal newborn behavior, and that we are a little too cynical in thinking that every little thing is a major problem.

L&D probably won't help a lot if you're at a hospital that has a NICU - they'll page the high risk NICU team if the baby is going to be bad or turns out bad, and you'll never get your hands on the kid, you'll be too busy working with mom. Peds or PICU are okay as well, but they do things differently in those areas than in NICU - NICU tends to be more anal, for lack of a better word. So you might have to unlearn things when you transfer.

Good luck!