NICU compared to PICU...?

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Specializes in Case Mgmt; Mat/Child, Critical Care.

Hi all, I've been kicking around the idea of cross training in PICU. I've been given varying advice. Some like it, some hate it. Does anyone have any experience w/this? Is PICU at all like NICU....I realize, in PICU, you can get a pedi pt that is 16 yo! That's more like taking care of an adult!

I have done regular Peds in the past, but am interested in PICU.

What do you think?

Thanks in advance.....

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

It is nothing like NICU at all. They do things very different! They handle their vents completely different than we do...that is hard for me to adjust to.

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If you are interested I think that it is a great opportunity to cross train to the PICU. I love the NICU but there are a limited number/amount of etiologies that can occur with a baby. The PICU will offer the opportunity to still work with babies (though not micro premies) but incorporates a wider variety of etiologies and different challanges. The problem that I faced in working in both areas, as someone else stated before, is the PICU does things differently than the NICU. At our hospital the vents, vent settings, monitors, lines, drip concentrations and medication concentrations, Doctor rounds, documentation and even report were different. This often leads to the all famous arguement that the PICU is better/smarter than the NICU (don't want to get into that- hopefully your hospital doesn't have this feeling between the two units). If your hospital does feel this way about the NICU you may not initially not feel very welcomed or like you fit in. But don't worry as soon as you prove yourself knowledgeable to the staff and doctors you will love the experience the PICU offers. Good luck.

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Specializes in Case Mgmt; Mat/Child, Critical Care.

Thanks for your responses. I figured PICU would be really different, just because NICU does things so very differently than anything else I have ever done before. What I do know about my hospital is that we have excellent staffing in NICU and PICU is always short. And when people get floated to PICU, they seem to hate it. But I'm not sure why....

Thanks again! :)

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Thanks for your responses. I figured PICU would be really different, just because NICU does things so very differently than anything else I have ever done before. What I do know about my hospital is that we have excellent staffing in NICU and PICU is always short. And when people get floated to PICU, they seem to hate it. But I'm not sure why....

Thanks again! :)

see my Post

NICU to the PICU :(

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Thanks for your responses. I figured PICU would be really different, just because NICU does things so very differently than anything else I have ever done before. What I do know about my hospital is that we have excellent staffing in NICU and PICU is always short. And when people get floated to PICU, they seem to hate it. But I'm not sure why....

Thanks again! :)

see my Post

NICU to the PICU :(

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Was crosstrained in my hospital and I absolutely HATE Picu. It's mostly the staff that I hate.... "We are sooooo much better than the NICU" types. Even the dumb nurses seem to have that attitude. Fun fun fun.... Any if they are sooooooo much smarter, I don't see why we have to float to them but not the other way around???

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Was crosstrained in my hospital and I absolutely HATE Picu. It's mostly the staff that I hate.... "We are sooooo much better than the NICU" types. Even the dumb nurses seem to have that attitude. Fun fun fun.... Any if they are sooooooo much smarter, I don't see why we have to float to them but not the other way around???

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Specializes in Case Mgmt; Mat/Child, Critical Care.

Thanks... I looked up the thread....doesn't sound too good....

I think I'll just leave things status qou right now! :p

see my Post

NICU to the PICU :(

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Specializes in Case Mgmt; Mat/Child, Critical Care.

Thanks... I looked up the thread....doesn't sound too good....

I think I'll just leave things status qou right now! :p

see my Post

NICU to the PICU :(

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Specializes in Case Mgmt; Mat/Child, Critical Care.

We never get floats from PI to NICU, but it seems like we're always floating people up to them. I hear, once you're trained there (at least in my hospital) that you can get stuck up there for many shifts. I don't know how true that is.... Plus, like I said, nobody seems to like it, they lose a lot of staff, etc.

Well, I'm just staying put for now! :rolleyes:

Was crosstrained in my hospital and I absolutely HATE Picu. It's mostly the staff that I hate.... "We are sooooo much better than the NICU" types. Even the dumb nurses seem to have that attitude. Fun fun fun.... Any if they are sooooooo much smarter, I don't see why we have to float to them but not the other way around???
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case Mgmt; Mat/Child, Critical Care.

We never get floats from PI to NICU, but it seems like we're always floating people up to them. I hear, once you're trained there (at least in my hospital) that you can get stuck up there for many shifts. I don't know how true that is.... Plus, like I said, nobody seems to like it, they lose a lot of staff, etc.

Well, I'm just staying put for now! :rolleyes:

Was crosstrained in my hospital and I absolutely HATE Picu. It's mostly the staff that I hate.... "We are sooooo much better than the NICU" types. Even the dumb nurses seem to have that attitude. Fun fun fun.... Any if they are sooooooo much smarter, I don't see why we have to float to them but not the other way around???
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