Cross-Training in NICU

[Soliloquy, MSN, APRN, NP]

I'll be in the step-down nursery (Level II NICU I'm told) and the intention is to cross train me to the NICU as well so that I can take patients there should we have low census. Does that mean that the majority of my training will be done in the NICU since it's higher acuity?

[Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN]

You should probably ask your employer what they're intending, we have no way of knowing.

[Soliloquy, MSN, APRN, NP]

You should probably ask your employer what they're intending, we have no way of knowing.

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has done it and what it looked like for them.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

When we get a float nurse or a med-surg or step-down nursery nurse, they are limited in the patient acuity they can take. It would take too long to cross-train someone to handle the higher acuity patient when they may be in our unit once or twice a month. You would lose the knowledge from lack of use.