NICU Newbie Intro

Specialties NICU

Published

Hi, my name is Lexi, and I am in the last semester of my BSN second degree program.

We have a required preceptorship in the last semester, I was lucky and got a level III NICU. I need to do 15 shifts of 12 hours each. I will probably do some of those shifts in our Special Care nursery for continuity of care.

After my first shift, I felt so clumsy. I learned how to do routine care for the littlest ones, but I was so much slower than the staff nurses and still needed a little help to make sure that I was doing things properly. Considering I had only taken care of healthy full term newborns before this, I think this is pretty good?

No baby was hurt in any way by my care but I still felt silly when I took 30 minutes to do what others could do in 15.

What were your first shifts like in the NICU? I need some confidence boosting right now...

Thanks for reading this!

Lexi

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Sounds pretty normal to me. You are LEARNING. You are not staffing the unit. If that unit is typical, the nurses you're working w/have a TON of experience. This is your opportunity to be mentored. If anyone causes you to feel inadequate, choose not to feel that way. At the end of your preceptorship, you will be amazed at how much you have learned, what you can do easily that you couldn't do today. You'll still have a long way to go, but you will have come sooo far!

Enjoy this time. Be sure that you hold some babies as well as take Vital Signs, figure med doses, and try to see the whole picture as well as the details. I wish you well.

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Hey, i work in an NICU and am slower than the experienced nurses. You don't come out of the womb as great as those experienced nurses, it takes time:)

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My first shift was just like yours! You'll get there.

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Specializes in NICU,Mother-Baby,Gyn,Massage.

hi there!

Roxanne here....been a Level III/IV NICU RN for almost 13 yrs and all I can say is "hang in there". You are feeling/experiencing all the "norm". In fact, I don't think I really felt like a "competant" NICU nurse for the first 2 years of practice!....and, I had 8 years of neuro/rehab nursing when I "started" in NICU! You are learning, just accept the joy of it all and persevere....and have some patience with yourself, and some of those "experienced" nurses who so frequently forget they were once in your shoes!

Good luck, and ENJOY THE BABIES!

:)

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Thanks for all of your support! I did another shift today, and I felt so much better. My preceptor told me that she thinks I am doing great:D

I really did enjoy the sweet babies today! I think I just expect too much out of myself sometimes...

I was so proud when my patient actually finished a whole nursette bottle by himself today (for the first time) :p

This board really is great- i have learned so much from reading the back posts. I will contribute when I can :cool:

Lexi

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