My internship and graduation are coming!

[CallieAnne]

I am doing an internship for my next semster of school, and then I graduate in May '08. I have read all the reasons y'all love NICU so much, and I loved what little bit of it I have seen. I still can't make up my mind though. I'm doing my critical care rotation right now. I love it. I love all the machines and drips. I love that I'm busy, and what I do actually makes a difference in this person's life. There's just something about the NICU though that's different. Every baby is a miracle, but those babies are REALLY miracles. They're the big ones. It is amazing to me the things that go on in the NICU. But how busy are you really? I can't stand to be bored and run out of things to do. Are you as busy as nurses in the adult critical care? I just am having a hard time picking. I like adult critical care because I'm comfortable there, but the day I left NICU I thought "I could work here." I thought it was wonderful. Help! I've gotta make up my mind haha

Thanks

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

First let me offer my congrats to you!!

Now, as for your question. I cannot answer as a NICU nurse but I can tell you as a NICU parent of 2, that the nurses in my daughters NICU's were always on the go. My daughters were in different hospitals and in different decades. Nothing had changed from the birth of my first in 1992 to the birth of my 2nd in 2001. They were as busy now as they were 9+ yrs previously. Actually, I think they were MORE busy when my 2nd was born than they were in the 90's because technology has come so far in those passing years. Smaller and smaller babies were living, sicker and sicker babies were surviving all = more for the nurses. Like I said, I cannot answer from a nurses standpoint but from an "outsider" observing, those ladies and gentleman never stopped.

Again, congrats on your upcoming graduation!! (I graduate in June 08 from LPN school and then its to the bridge program for RN...ultimate destination (fingers crossed and God willing)..will be NICU for me!

Best of luck w/your decision. I'm sure the one you decide on will be the correct one for you.

[Sweeper933]

As on any unit, your shifts can range from one extreme to the other. I've had nights where it seems like I have the easiest assignment in the world, and find myself looking for other things to do all night. I've also had nights where I only have 1 baby to take care (because they're so critical), and I barely get a chance to sit down all night, let alone chart...

For the most part though, there seems to be a pretty consistent level of work to do. Even on nights where I think I'm going to have a lot of down time, something always comes up. A kid starts to get septic... anything can happen!