NICU New Grad

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I have just been hired as a new graduate NICU nurse and I would like advice. I have worked so hard to get where I am and thanks to the guidance of many, including information gathered from this amazing site, I have been hired in the specialty I have always wanted. Sometimes I have to pinch myself.

I am looking for seasoned NICU veterans or even fellow new grad NICU nurses to offer advice. I apologize if I am being vague, but I welcome advice on any thing from assessments, prioritization, family interaction, communication, etc. Anything!

I am reading material right now on appropriate nursing care for different NICU disorders. I have also been reviewing information on how best to assess my baby patients. This is all because I don't officially start 'til the new year starts and I am preparing.

Give it me to hard and honest because I want to be an amazing NICU nurse and I don't want to be babied (pun intended). I have heard that too many NICU nurses start out too confident and I am certainly not that way. Please any advice is welcome.

Side note: I am a rare bird since I will be a male in the NICU so commentary on that wouldn't hurt as well.

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Specializes in NICU.

Side note: I am a rare bird since I will be a male in the NICU so commentary on that wouldn't hurt as well.

Welcome to NICU. My advice is to be a sponge. Soak up every bit of knowledge and advice that your preceptors and co-workers have. Your co-workers realize that you know very little and that is why there is a long orientation.

Expect to be asked a thousand times "Why did you choose NICU?". Don't expect your co-workers to treat you different because you are a male. I see my co-workers as fellow nurses and they see me as a co-worker, not male nurse/ female nurse. The parents and doctors treat me the same as my female coworkers.

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Specializes in Medical/Surgical/Telemetry RN.

Bro Congrats man!!!! Remember to drop the stereotype of male/female nurse at the door. Literally the title is nurse. Always remember that you have earned the title nurse. You should be proud of it. If anyone shows the stereotype toward you just kill em with kindness man and show them what it means to be a nurse. Go get em bro!!!

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Congrats to you!

Id like to know what advice/steps you took to put yourself in position to become a new grad nice RN please. I'm a first semester RN student and just started my first CNA job in registry where my hospital recommends nurse students to be. I will float med/surg, tele, 1 on 1 psych, possibly ICU.

Thanks for any and all guidance and best best wishes to you!

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Congratulations on landing a NICU position! I graduate in May 2017 and would love a NICU position but I know it is very competitive. The only experience I have is, I work as a nurse extern currently. Do you have any advice or tips on how to get a position in NICU?

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