New nicu nurse in need of advice!

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Hello everyone! I am a fairly new grad who just completed orientation in the nicu and is having a complete freak out!! It's my first nursing job and it's a pretty intense and busy unit which I love but Iam terrified to be in my own! My whole 5 month orientation has been on days and now I'm switching to nights. My preceptor was phenomenal and I feel like I learned so much but I have zero self confidence and doubt myself all the time. I have heard a lot of terrible stories about the night nurses and how they are very catty and nasty to the orientees just starting out, which makes me even more nervous because I feel even more alone. If anyone has any advice or words of wisdom for this new and terrified nurse it would really help me out!!

Specializes in NICU.

Not so much things to look up beforehand but what I found helpful was to write down the things you learn every day after a shift in a notebook, like procedures, what you need for procedures, tips your preceptor gave you, what are the norms for vital signs etc. By the end of your orientation you'll have a book full of facts to fall back on if you forget something! :) like a safety blanket you can bring to work with you. Plus it helps you to debrief after a crazy shift.

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Specializes in Telemetry, NICU.

Go on YouTube and look up a newborn assessment

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Great advice thank you :)

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So I had my first full day and the first part of the day I was thinking about how I landed the best job in the world. By the end of the day I felt so overwhelmed like I am never going to remember anything that maybe I'm not as fast of a learner as I previously perceived myself to be. Is this overwhelmed feeling normal?

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Specializes in NICU.

@arlucero1 I'm not a full fledge NICU RN yet (still training) but I assume that's perfectly normal. Some days will probably be awesome and you have everything going the way you envision and then other days will go haywire and baby will decide she/he has different plans. I'm sure you are doing great!

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I still feel overwhelmed! And ive been off orientation for a month. I'm still struggling with my choice. I love the NICU but I'm feeling like this high acuity is just too much for me. Does anyone have any advice or been in a situation of regretting your choice to be a nurse or at least do bedside nursing?

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I'm barely going into my second shift of orientation tomorrow but I already think my preceptor is nice but thinks I'm a moron haha. I definitely feel like overwhelmed and maybe that just because this is what I WANTED doesn't mean I'm cut out for it or good at it. So now I feel guilty that maybe I robbed someone of this opportunity. Also like maybe I should've picked a less stressful job. However, I've been told to give it time and I think you should too.

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Specializes in NICU.
I still feel overwhelmed! And ive been off orientation for a month. I'm still struggling with my choice. I love the NICU but I'm feeling like this high acuity is just too much for me. Does anyone have any advice or been in a situation of regretting your choice to be a nurse or at least do bedside nursing?

Talk to your educator/manager about this. Maybe you can do a few more shifts with a preceptor, just focusing on the highest acuity. If you can narrow down what you are having the most problems with, that will help. If it is more a time management issue, only practice can help, but in the meantime, ask for help when you feel like you are drowning. Finally, the NICU is not for everyone, but that does not mean bedside nursing is not for you. Investigate some less acute options, like a special care nursery or even well-baby.

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Specializes in NICU.

Reading all of these makes me happy. I know this thread is old, but I'm about 4 weeks away from being on my own in a Level 3 NICU in AK. It has been a hard and intense 6 months with multiple preceptors ( which i like, since i get to pick up tips and tricks that i like). I am regretting not keeping a notebook for debrief. I have kept all my notes in my locker... but nothing to organized. I plan to start a journal when I'm on my own. A word of advice for starting a program show HUSSLE! your nurses and doctors will love it. I ask tons of questions and most of the time i dont feel I'm to annoying lol. When you feel overwhelmed or feel nurses are being rude or hard... just remember or think they are testing you. I have learned that they dont want to eat you alive they want you to think and be the best nurse you can be. Sure there are mean nurses that are just mean for no good reason but you weed those out pretty quick. Always be respectful and stay calm and breath. I love my job and I was so blessed to get out of school and find a NICU new grad program. My dream job. :-) andy more words of advice would be great.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I myself am a fairly new grad. I did a 2 year new grad residency program in a level III NICU and have been flying solo for nearly a year. I would agree with other posters who say it takes a good 2 years to feel really comfortable. You will always have situations come up that you find unfamiliar or scary. Ask questions! Use your resources! Get yourself a mentor. Find those go-to people that you can always depend on for advice and guidance.

As far as the rumors that night shift is catty...don't listen to what each shift says about the others. Unless you work that shift you don't know what it's like. I work a rotating day/night position and each shift thinks and says negative things about the others. It's rarely true. I love aspects of both the day and night shift but I admit that the night shifters are my peeps! We work hard, we pull together, we support each other.

Good luck!

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