NICU burnout?

Humbled_Nurse · Jul 1, 2006

Wow! 21 years is alot in the NICU. Most NICU nurses won't last that long. I'm proud of you! I've only been at it a few years, but been a nurse for 8 years. I love NICU, but at times it is stressful and as you said hospital nursing is turning into more of a customer service and competition with other hospitals.

You say you enjoy home health. Why don't you do both. Maybe back off on your NICU hours and pick up some more home health patients. I was out of NICU for five years doing a different area of nursing, but I stayed PRN in a NICU and worked just a couple of times a month. It was hard for me to give up NICU completely. You do miss the babies. You don't realize how much you miss them until you are away from them. I am know back in NICU full time and doing well, but can't say I will last 21 years though. NICU is a special place full of triumph and heartache.

Good luck in your decision and we are glad to have you on the board. Look forward to hearing your NICU stories and your wealth of information on "NICU stuff"

Take care!

MA Nurse · Jul 3, 2006

Hi, New to this site and I'm so happy to have found it. I work in a Level III unit and have been doing this for 21 years now. Night shift and feel I'm just burned out. But not sure. I go back and forth between whether I would really miss my little ones and I "just can't do this any more". We lost one last night. That's 4 in a month. This was a 32 weeker that had some minor respiratory issues and was doing fine, went to our stepdown unit. Then, well, sepsis. You guys know. I just feel I cannot do this another minute. I haven't slept all day, and feel like a zombie. I also really hate the way hospital nursing is going now. Like everything is about making money, making the hospital look good, and cover your behind. Not patient care, like it used to be 20 years ago. Things have really changed and it's just not for me anymore.
I also do home health with a precious little 2 year old, who I took care of in the NICU, that wasn't expected to live. AND I LOVE IT! Maybe that's my calling. Home health. Anyway. As you can tell from my post, I am exhausted from my 12 hours of "hell" last night and no sleep. Just needed to vent and maybe get some advice from seasoned nurses out there. I've never done any other kind of nursing than mother/baby and NICU.
Glad to have found some fellow nurses out there.:zzzzz :zzzzz

I totally understand. I've been a NICU nurse for 16 years. I'm getting ready to quit, but go to another NICU with a more flexible schedule.

My hubby has been a NICU nurse for 18 years. He works 12 hour nights, too.

Maybe you should consider getting off nights, especially if you've done it this long! My hubby likes it, but I know it takes a toll on your body. I work PM's. Sleeping during the day just isn't normal for your body or mind, IMO.

You may just need to switch to a different shift, if you can. do you think that might help? I find I was more depressed on night shift.

Also home care sounds good to me. I did it as a CNA and I liked it. Much more relaxing sometimes, and you are able to give more to your patient one on one.

Hope I've helped some!

Kim

premiepower · Jul 3, 2006

thanks for all your help. I'm thinking seriously of bumping back to prn at the hospital and working minimally. Just enough to keep up skills. Then working full time with my home health case. I think day shift though would be even more stressful. At least at my hospital. Too many people and management and doctors there. LOL.

Thanks for your advice. It helps to know others are there for advice

LaNICUnurse · Jul 6, 2006

thanks for all your help. I'm thinking seriously of bumping back to prn at the hospital and working minimally. Just enough to keep up skills. Then working full time with my home health case. I think day shift though would be even more stressful. At least at my hospital. Too many people and management and doctors there. LOL.
Thanks for your advice. It helps to know others are there for advice

In our unit, 40 bed, most of the staff has been there for more than 10 years, alot of them for 20-30. We just had an RT who retired after 47 years.

They go from relief, to full time, to part time according to what is going on in their lives. They also change roles in the hospital, we have some who have been staff, directors, and charge nurses, they change from one to the other and there are some adjustment on everyones parts, but we live through it. They are always welcomed back and it is like a family, not everyone gets along perfectly all the time, but like I said its like a family.

Changing to days is probably the best action. I did it after ten years and it changed my thinking on NICU. Taking a break gives you a different perspective. And, you can always go back to it, and even not totally leave it.