NICU nurses

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How did u guys know u wanted to be a NICU nurse. I am a student and in clinical the other day I just had this feeling that NICU is where I am supposed to be. Did that happen to any of you?:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

I knew last March when I visited NICU for a few days during my practicum. When I held a preemie, and fed another, I knew that's what I wanted to do. It's a very difficult specialty to learn as a new grad, but it all comes with practice. I didn't learn much at all about this kind of stuff, except the general L&D stuff we were taught.

Stevern21

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I had never set foot in a NICU before. It just happened that when I applied for L&D they weren't hiring and the HR person asked me if I would consider interviewing for NICU. I said sure and that's how I wound up here. I think it's actually a very good area for new grads if you get a good orientation. Some managers feel new grads do better than nurses who come from other units.

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Specializes in NICU.

In my peds clinical I had a newborn that was very ill with RSV. It was a difficult, and at various times, scarey day. However, it was the best day of my entire clinical. I enjoyed working with the parents and I know it may sound terribly strange, but I liked the acuity of the case. Later in my rotation I had the opportunity to shadow in the NICU. It was, for me, love at first sight. I graduate in May and NICU is my first choice. I know that I will have to continue to study in order to be a good neonatal nurse. I am prepared to make the sacrifice and I look forward to the many opportunites ahead. Best wishes to you!

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Specializes in ICU.

I was in the middle of the my Nursing education, when i saw a documentation on TV about Preemies. That´s when i knew once i will work on such a Unit. I did a practicum during my last semester where i had to do it in my vacation time, cause in our school we weren´t able to earn such experiences. So i went to a Childrens Hospital where i had the first contact to these tiny little Human beeings. I finished Nursing school and started working on a ICU for Adults, got my licencen in Intensive Care Nursing and then went to a NICU.

So here i am, where i wanted to be.

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I'm looking into becoming a neonatal nurse once I get my bachelors degree, does that require more education? Eventually I want to get my master's degree but I know skysurfer mentioned getting a license in intensive care nursing? The school I'll be going to offers a class in maternal/newborn nursing would I be able to do that once I get my bachelors degree? Also are there any book, websites or video's I can get to learn more about the NICU? I want to research the different fields as much as possible so that I can have an idea of what I want to do. Thanks.

~Amber~

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skysurfer,

I'll look into them when I get a chance :). I've been looking on the web for days and haven't found any sites that are helpful, so thank you.

~Amber~

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Specializes in ER, NICU.

There were several reasons I chose NICU:

A) When I walked into the NICU at the University of Alabama Birmingham I had the same feeling "thats IT" as I do when I see other "IT"s - you know, the feeling that "I've just GOT to have that". (I also have that feeling with certain shoes, cars, men...:rotfl:)

B) They had to kick me out of the same NICU each shift I worked. I LOVED it. The complexity, the equipment, the patho of it. The challenge. :idea:

C) Baby butts are SOOOOO much easier to clean than Adult butts. :rolleyes:

D) Neonates are helpless and not due to their own fault/issues. I get frustrated with adult issues because they are often self inflicted. :imbar

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