New to NICU - hired part time?

Published

Specializes in ICU, OR.

Hi! I have been trying to figure out where it is I want to be nursing wise, and keep coming back to browsing these NICU boards! Anyway, I have mostly adult ICU experience and am wondering, if I want to change to NICU and they agree to hire me and orient me, could I do this on a part time basis? Or do they only orient people who will be full time, and hire only experienced NICU RNs part time? I understand every hospital is different but what have you NICU nurses experienced/seen where you work? Thanks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

In my hospital, if they're hiring someone with no NICU experience, then they will give them a full 12-week orientation. In that case, it would need to be on a full time basis. I'm sure eventually they'd move them to part time if that was what they wanted, but going through the orientation and feeling comfortable being in NICU (which can take up to a couple years), then it would need to be a full time commitment.

But every place is different and it probably just depends on what their needs are.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

Part-time positions here are few and far between, and snapped up by senior nurses on the unit. That's not to say that a unit somewhere has open PT slots. I would still want a full orientation even as a part-timer, though. Per diems here get 6 DAYS of orientation... I got 16 WEEKS as a full-timer with experience.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

Hello. Ours is the same. New nurses need to work full time while they are in orientation (36 or 40 weeks). After that they can change to part time. I hope that you do it, because your experiences in the adult ICU world would be great to bring to the NICU.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

We also orient full time, 4 tens per week. Part time positions are doled out according to seniority here.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, OR.

Thanks everyone. That is what I was thinking also, that I might have to do full time while orienting and then change. Definitely a possibility. I could do FT but that means more child care stress. Seems like there are so many areas of nursing I am always considering but I keep thinking about NICU. I hope I find something.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

We have to commit to a year of full-time, but after that, the managers are pretty good at letting anyone go part-time who wants to. A lot of the nurses have babies or go back to school and understandably want to go part time at that point. Under the right circumstances they might let someone go part time sooner, but it's not encouraged.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, OR.

Thanks for the info. I actually may end up needing a full time job anyway now do to my husband wanting to change careers. I REALLY do not want to work with adults and am hoping to get a call for one of the NICUs I applied for. So far the few that are near me are not hiring people without NICU exp. Adults I could work with in a second, but babies they won't take me. I may have to work somewhere far and have a commute in order to get a NICU position but that is what I want. Maybe after I get a year exp I could get a job closer to home. Wish me luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion