New NICU nurse

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Hello all. I am new to this page but will now be a frequent visitor. Here is my situation, which is quite simple but I believe to be VERY important. I just recently graduated an ADN program (May 6th to be exact) and early this week accepted a position at Children's hospital in the NICU. It really surprises me that I got the position because I have had no clinical rotation in the NICU and really no pediatric rotation in school. I do have work experience though... I am so excited to be a part of such a complex nursing area; to be able to work with babies who are fighting, to comfort families and watch them grow and teach them. To be part of a such a crucial time in the life of the infant and the family, I think I could go on forever! I'm sure those of you who are NICU nurses know what I am talking about.

FINALLY to my question. As excited as I am, I am also very nervous. I have ordered myself 400 dollars worth of NICU books and am taking it on myself to learn everything that I didn't in school. (I should be studying for the NCLEX) but then I fully intend to read all of my books. WHAT ELSE WOULD ALL YOU EXPERIENCED NICU NURSES SUGGEST I DO?

It's funny, as I just watched Noah Wiley's last ER, as I was typing that I am scared and nervous, "Carter" tells all the residents that Dr. Green made them write a letter to themselves. He said that in his he wrote "he was scared, nervous, etc..." Maybe that was a sign :saint: Thank you all for listening and hopefully you have advice that will make me a better nurse!

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Specializes in NICU, CVICU.
Hello all. I am new to this page but will now be a frequent visitor. Here is my situation, which is quite simple but I believe to be VERY important. I just recently graduated an ADN program (May 6th to be exact) and early this week accepted a position at Children's hospital in the NICU. It really surprises me that I got the position because I have had no clinical rotation in the NICU and really no pediatric rotation in school. I do have work experience though... I am so excited to be a part of such a complex nursing area; to be able to work with babies who are fighting, to comfort families and watch them grow and teach them. To be part of a such a crucial time in the life of the infant and the family, I think I could go on forever! I'm sure those of you who are NICU nurses know what I am talking about.

FINALLY to my question. As excited as I am, I am also very nervous. I have ordered myself 400 dollars worth of NICU books and am taking it on myself to learn everything that I didn't in school. (I should be studying for the NCLEX) but then I fully intend to read all of my books. WHAT ELSE WOULD ALL YOU EXPERIENCED NICU NURSES SUGGEST I DO?

It's funny, as I just watched Noah Wiley's last ER, as I was typing that I am scared and nervous, "Carter" tells all the residents that Dr. Green made them write a letter to themselves. He said that in his he wrote "he was scared, nervous, etc..." Maybe that was a sign :saint: Thank you all for listening and hopefully you have advice that will make me a better nurse!

First, focus on the NCLEX!!! I promise you will learn what you need to during your internship, but if you neglect the NCLEX it could all be in vain!

It's true that we come into the NICU with basically no schooling whatsoever (we did a regular pediatrics rotation and a regular OB rotation, but between the two only had 6 days in the NICU)...but the NICU units know this. We spent the first 5 weeks of my internship in a classroom with daily lectures - 8 hrs a day for 5 weeks. Then we started in the clinical aspect on the unit. I started in January and I finish my orientation next Monday. I still have about 6-8 weeks of "resource" (working with my preceptor nearby with her own assignment) and then I'm off on my own!

What I'm trying to say is: you will get what you need. Get past your license exam (if you can test before you start your job it'll be even better) then you can focus all your energy on NICU...

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Ditto previous poster. NCLEX 1st!!

There are stickies @ the top of the forum w/other suggestions, too.

Good Luck!

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I graduated with my ADN in 12/04 and entered a NICU internship program in January '05. We had a very intense didactic program of classroom learning and precepted clinicals. I graduated on 5/6/05 and am now working on my own. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't have a knot in my stomach, from the fear and reality of how quickly things can go bad....but I absolutely love it....and thankfully, I work in a unit where everyone helps each other, so I know that there is always a back up.

Passing the NCLEX should be your first priority because without that.....you don't have an internship to attend! Then spend your time on NICU stuff....It will happen, but one thing I've learned is that I can read about things all day long, they usually don't make alot of sense until I see first hand what loops of bowel look like in NEC, or what a PDA murmur sounds like, or how the best way to position a kid with a UAC/UVC is and what calf toes look like.

Good luck....you'll do fine!

Jamie

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