NICU anxiety....

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Specializes in Pulmonary.

I'm not a super new nurse, but after nearly two years in med-surg I finally felt comfortable enough to take a job in the NICU (levelIII) in my hospital.

the issue is that I'm having some major anxiety. There are days when I'm incredibly excited and thrilled, and other days when I wonder what the heck I'm doing. I'm the youngest nurse there, most of the others have been working in the NICU for 20+ years, and have been nurses since I was a fetus myself (and I'm 30!). I've had one day of orientation, and it went well....I'm a smart person and pick up things quickly, but sometimes I feel like I'm never going to know everything that I need to know.

The other factor is that I wonder if the there are interpersonal issues on the unit. There is just a vibe there, can't put my finger on it, but there is definatly something going on with the staff. Lots of call-in's (insert red flag) and I really felt like an outsider, that I'm going to have to prove myself before I get any respect.

Are these feelings normal? How long does it take to feel competent in the NICU? Or am I just having some "new person" anxiety???

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

That anxiety about skills and knowledge is really normal! You have to change some of your thought processes and skills to do NICU! As for the interpersonal things, if you are getting bad vibes, that could be a toxic unit! I'd keep my ears open and see how things go. We go thru phases where we have a lot of call ins because people are stressed and fed up, so see if it goes in waves, or if it is a constant thing.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Pulmonary.

Thanks for your perspective.

I'm in for another day tomorrow and am definately keeping my ear to the ground as far as how the group interacts with each other. The unit that I'm leaving actually is really great from a interpersonal perspective; very supportive and overall great people, so I'm a little spoiled. However, I really have no interest in adults! However, I do feel that if this is a toxic unit than that's worse than working with a patient population that isn't my ideal.

I'm working really hard to not let my "new girl" anxiety get the best of me - and I really appreciate your validation!

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You said that you've had one day of orientation in the NICU, go easy on yourself.

As for the call offs, we have phases of lots of call offs as well. I wonder what a new person would think of our unit if they came to our unit last week or this week. We had a horrible month last month, we had more deaths than normal, and we had a long termer die. We also dealt with a GI bug that hit everyone in the unit and a respiratory flu epidemic. We were all overworked and extra stressed. Things have calmed down now, but people are calling in sick, because they need a break. I am taking a week off next month to go somwhere warm, so I am working through my burnout without calling off. The mood on our unit is defenitely not perky, plus we are at the tail end of a long, drawn out dreary winter.

I am not saying to not heed the red flag, maybe just tuck it away for now. Focus on getting your NICU skills down. You will get where you need to be skillwise, if I can do it anyone can do it.

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Congrats on your move into the NICU world....it's a wonderful place to be! One thing that I've noticed about NICU nurses is that they tend to be very protective....both about their babies and their selves in terms of newcomers. You do tend to have to prove yourself to a point, which is why orientation is so important to increase your comfort level. I also see this on our unit when nurses change shifts...even though they are known to the unit, there is a transition time. When I first started working in NICU, I overheard someone say that NICU nurses mark their territory, and has been described as "peeing around their beds". I laughed and thought that was ridiculous, now, after 4 years, i realize that I'm guilty of that...not so much from other nurses, but from every one else!

Give yourself some time to adjust and I hope you learn to love the itty bitties as much as I do!

jamie

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When I first started working in NICU, I overheard someone say that NICU nurses mark their territory, and has been described as "peeing around their beds". I laughed and thought that was ridiculous, now, after 4 years, i realize that I'm guilty of that...not so much from other nurses, but from every one else!

jamie

This is so true, but it has to be, if we aren't going to look out for our babies, who will. It yanks my chain when a surgery resident comes and looks at my baby, then leaves them all unwrapped and untucked, with their dressing all messed up. Half the time, that is the only way you know they were there....Ugh!!!!

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It yanks my chain when a surgery resident comes and looks at my baby, then leaves them all unwrapped and untucked, with their dressing all messed up

That's poor cribside manner

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Specializes in Level III NICU.
This is so true, but it has to be, if we aren't going to look out for our babies, who will. It yanks my chain when a surgery resident comes and looks at my baby, then leaves them all unwrapped and untucked, with their dressing all messed up. Half the time, that is the only way you know they were there....Ugh!!!!

Our surgery residents come right at change of shift in the morning, and then want to see the chart, the flowsheets and ask questions. Hey buddy, I just worked 12 hours and I want to go home! And they always want to touch the s/p gastroschisis repair baby, who FINALLY went to sleep. And they can never come in all together. It's the intern, then a resident, then the senior. :banghead:

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Specializes in NICU.
This is so true, but it has to be, if we aren't going to look out for our babies, who will. It yanks my chain when a surgery resident comes and looks at my baby, then leaves them all unwrapped and untucked, with their dressing all messed up. Half the time, that is the only way you know they were there....Ugh!!!!

I've started saying "You wake 'em, you take 'em." I think I got it from prmenrs, actually...

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Specializes in Pulmonary.

Well, after a couple more days I'm feeling a little bit better.

Next week I start my "real" orientation - I had been between my old unit and the NICU doing a few days on both. I have the hang of doing an assessment and vitals and getting the hang of the schedule.

Everyone I've oriented with thus far has been very nice; I've overheard or been around conversations where I've heard a few things. two of the three docs are exceptionally approachable and nice, one is a little standoffish, but whatever. Nurse Manager is consistently approachable. I did notice that there isn't too much intershift complaining, which is good! I hate hearing that "nights doesn't do ...." or "days just thinks they do everything...." crap

It also helps that I had a great day on Friday! Helped with a discharge, and did alot of corificeat safety teaching, did some breastfeeding/pumping teaching with another mom (I'm working on my LC cert!), helped out a mom who has a baby in the NICU and was admitted to another floor with a PE with her pumping, talked to the neo's about if she needed to pump and dump etc. Two of the other nurses commented that I had alot of good breastfeeding/baby/safety knowledge!

So, I'm ready to dive in! Thank you to everyone who replied....I have discovered that I really, really hate being new and that is my biggest hurdle. Off to read my Essentials of Neonatal nursing!"

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