New Grad starting in NICU soon! Any advice for study-prep...

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Specializes in NICU.

Hi all!

So I'm a recent New Grad and I will be starting in a NICU in the near future. I wanted to know what all of you recommend for me to read/brush-up on before I start my orientation. I'm excited and nervous, and want to walk in feeling somewhat prepared and not completely clueless. I know that the unit offers an extensive orientation, but I always like to prepare myself ahead of time. I feel like having a journal with notes already placed in that I can reference on top of the material they give me will help me transition better into the new role as a NICU RN. Any advice will help!!! :nurse:

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

Know blood gasses....inside and out. They take these alot in the NICU.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome...this is the medical term for "drug babies"...some areas get these more than others, my facility gets these alot. Read about different therapies.

Group B strep...how this affects a pregnancy.

STD's and how it affects a neonate with a lady partsl vs c-section delivery.

Oxygen delivery systems such as low-flow, high-flow, CPAP, SiPAP, Jet Ventilators...this is a daily part of life in the NICU.

Anything and everything you can get your hands on about breastfeeding..you'll get asked lots of questions.

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I think it's always a good idea to understand the process of the newborn transition. If you have a solid grasp of the changes that occur in the first minutes and hours of extrauterine life, then the management of several common conditions (like pulmonary hypertension or patent ductus arteriosus) will make a lot more sense to you.

What do you know about the acuity in your unit? Do you have a transport team? Is it a referral center for cardiac surgery, cooling or ECMO?

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I'm a GN starting in NICU soon as well! Any other suggestions on how to prepare for the job? Thanks! :p

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