Need help with these questions!!

[M.Say RN BSN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

I posted this up yesterday and no response so I'm going to keep posting this until i get some responses. It's for college, I have to do an informal interview on a health professional and neonatal is what I want to look into. PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!!

1.Why did you decide to work in this field?

2. Did you have another career before you went to school to become a neonatal nurse? What was it like to change from one career to another?

3. Where did you go to school for this job? What was the hardest part of school for you?

4. What is a typical workday like? Do you have a lot of overtime? (If yes, How is overtime scheduled? Do you have enough notification so you can adjust your schedule at home, etc.?)

5. Do you work under a lot of pressure in this job? (If yes) Can you give me an example of a typical high-pressure situation?

6. Is there a lot of take-home work in this job? (If yes, Do you ever find it hard to turn-off work at home and enjoy a personal/family life?)

7. What kinds of professional development opportunities are there in this field? Can a person move up in this career?

8. Do you see this field as growing and expanding? Can you give me examples of why you think this is happening?

9. Is this a secure field? Can you give me reasons why you think this is true?

10. Does this job give you the challenges you need to stay interested in this field?

11. Do you see yourself doing this job for the rest of your work life? Why (or why not)?

12. I know that babies cry a lot in the unit and sometimes I panic when I hear them cry. Is that something I can overcome working as a neonatal nurse.

[prmenrs, RN]

I think I failed this pop quiz. bummer

[prmenrs, RN]

I think I failed this pop quiz. bummer. Pick 5 most impt ??, and I'll give it another try.

[babyNP., APRN]

It's not appropriate to threaten to keep repeating the same thread and actually, it's against TOS. If you do so, members can and probably will report you.

That being said, these questions (nearly all the same) are typically asked at least once a month and I would suggest doing a search.

edit: I just had to comment--crying babies freak you out? My dear, you will hear many crying babies and you will also be the cause of their crying (lab draws, as an example) and you will also find that you may not be able to comfort them into stop crying (babies who are withdrawing due to drug abuse). Often when they aren't crying as expected is when we start to worry...also, NICU can have a higher mortality rate than other units. When I last looked at the mortality rate (2009), unit had about 50 babies die in a year, which averages about 1 a week (usually they are in spurts, though). We are a high-acuity facility, so more than the typical facility, but it can and does happen. I am not trying to discourage you to be a NICU RN, but wanting you to realize the reality of NICU not being all about cuddling babies (though yes, that is part of the job :) )

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Please do not "keep posting until you get replies" as this is against the TOS regarding spamming.

Those who are interested will come along and assist you.

[M.Say RN BSN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

Didn't mean to threaten anybody, so please don't think I am. I just needed to get this assignment done on time.

[M.Say RN BSN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

That's what I'm looking for: the reality of being a NICU. Seeing babies die every now and then and also crying more than usual is not something I deal with everyday; although I do have two children at home. So what I meant was do you adjust to these right away or is it "you like it or not" type of career.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I think "you are either a NICU nurse or you are not." How do you feel when you walk into a NICU? Fascinated? or... Bothered? Are you determined to be a NICU no matter what it takes? Or are you only interested in being a NICU nurse if it is not very hard or stressful?

I spent 14 years working in NICU's -- 10 of those years coordinating the orientations of new NICU nurses. I could pretty much tell who was going to be a successful NICU nurse based on the answer to the questions I posted above.