NICU Emotions

Specialties NICU

Published

Hello everyone, new here and I am a nursing student. I had the great honor of doing clinical in the NICU but I have to tell you that it just got really emotional for me dealing with the infants that were in distress. My heart went out to each and everyone of them, especially the one I was assigned to. He was born premature and is now four month old and weighs right at seven pounds and still having major respiratory problems. It broke my heart seeing how this precious little soul would cry. It wasn't even really a normal cry. How can you put these feelings aside and not cry every time you deal with one of these angels? I would really like to work in this area but I honestly wonder if I am cut out for this. Any advice on the subject matter? I know this isn't something you can just get over.

Thanks,

Barbiejschnapps:sniff:

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Those older NICU kiddos can be tough on you. I just think it would be really sad if the kid had no resources for treatment, but we provide a place where we can make things at least a little better for him. I have to try to remember that the vast majority of kids who will go home and do very well.

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I think it gets easier. The longer the infants are there, the deeper your bond gets with them. Sometimes I get blue about a bad outcome, but then I realize that this child would have been born and had these problems if I worked in the NICU or not, by being there and doing my best, maybe I did something that made his experience or his parents experience a tiny bit better for a while.

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Specializes in NICU.

I was recently watching a rerun of "er" and Dr. Carter actually had a line that can sum up some of the difficult emotional situations that we encounter in the NICU:

"Some patients get to you more than others. But when you do everything that you can, sometimes more than you thought you could, you have to walk away knowing that you fought a good fight"

- Dr. Carter, ER

I recently had a primary who had A LOT going on, and even more so with his family situation. Hearing that quote made thinking about the situation a little bit easier to deal with.

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Thank you for your reply. I got to go in today and check on him and he was doing much better so I was happy with that and I am glad that all of them are getting the best care available. My clinical instructor also had a talk with me and told me it was ok to get emotional because it was normal and it would get better for me.

Sincerely,

Lora

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Thank you for the words of encouragement. Just talking helps to deal with the emotions.

Sincerely,

Lora

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Hi Lora,

I'm a unit secretary working in a NICU and find that I'm definitely drawn to this area of nursing and look forward to working in one when I finish nursing school. There is a picture of a little one that was one of the longer stays (5+ months) who is now home. Although still depends on supplemental o2 via a NC, he looks like a happy baby. When you see a little one that is born at

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