Negativity from non NICU nurses

Specialties NICU

Published

Specializes in L&D.

My background is high risk L&D at a large teaching hospital.

Right now I work mother/baby in a small hospital.

When I told my colleagues that I got a job in a busy level IV NICU in a teaching hospital the reactions were mixed..

Some seemed happy, some seemed concerned for me. "Have you ever worked NICU before?" was a question I got a lot. No but I'm very interested in it and motivated to learn and they're going to give me 10 weeks of orientation and start me out slow. Nurses change specialities all the time not sure why this is such a radical idea.

A lot of comments about how that will be a different world and really challenging.

Yeah I know. But I came from a teaching hospital and feel a lot more comfortable in that environment where you always have backup.

At my current hospital we had a 25 week triage patient get stat sectioned for an abruption. There was ONE NICU nurse there and the neonatologist rushed in from home. Baby was stabilized but died the next day. THAT is a lot scarier place to me than a busy level IV NICU.

Sorry for the vent.

Just curious if others had similar experiences when they told other nurses they wanted to do NICU.

I know NICU is not for everyone and can be a very intimidating place.

It's shaken my confidence a bit though. Am worried that it will end up being too much for me which would be sad since this is my dream job and am really excited.

not necessarily for going to nicu, but I worked oil&gas and quit to go to nursing school. lots of negativity and doubt. don't listen to them, go for it....and if u hate it.....u can always go back to morher/baby. You never know unless u try.

It's all your comfort level. I came from a teaching hospital doing high risk antepartum/mother-baby to a small facility doing the same and eventually transferring the the SCN/level II NICU.

When I first saw a bad delivery, my heart was in my throat and I felt as if I couldn't imagine anything but that being my baby.

After a few senior nurses took me under their wing and taught me how to disassociate myself, I became able to compentently perform and have excelled.

I'm sure you will find your comfort zone and flourish!

At my current hospital we had a 25 week triage patient get stat sectioned for an abruption. There was ONE NICU nurse there and the neonatologist rushed in from home. Baby was stabilized but died the next day. THAT is a lot scarier place to me than a busy level IV NICU.

Congratulations on getting hired in the NICU, it's a great place to work. I do have to take issue with the above comment though. I can imagine how scary and stressful that delivery was, my wife worked labor and delivery for a long time and I've heard of some really scary stuff. Consider though that the 25 wk infant survived to make it to the NICU, during the time he/she was there the NICU team is fighting to keep that baby alive. That's 8-12 hours of "scary" for whoever has that assignment. Not to mention the family will likely be there the entire time needing almost constant teaching and emotional support as they struggle to figure why this is happening to their baby, what are we doing to their baby, is he/she in pain, will the baby survive and if so will he/she have any long term problems.

My point is that with most of the deliveries such as you described the scary part doesn't end when the baby leaves the delivery room/OR, it's only just starting. But a great part about working in the NICU is that you will see many of those scary situations resolve. The situation will go from coming to work and wondering if that baby will survive your shift to coming in and wondering how well he/she will breast feed or bottle, or if he'll still get fussy when you put him in the tub and wash his hair. The NICU is an incredible place to work and with your L&D experience you'd make a great addition to the delivery team. I wish you the best of luck.

Specializes in NICU.
Congratulations on getting hired in the NICU, it's a great place to work. I do have to take issue with the above comment though. I can imagine how scary and stressful that delivery was, my wife worked labor and delivery for a long time and I've heard of some really scary stuff. Consider though that the 25 wk infant survived to make it to the NICU, during the time he/she was there the NICU team is fighting to keep that baby alive. That's 8-12 hours of "scary" for whoever has that assignment. Not to mention the family will likely be there the entire time needing almost constant teaching and emotional support as they struggle to figure why this is happening to their baby, what are we doing to their baby, is he/she in pain, will the baby survive and if so will he/she have any long term problems.

My point is that with most of the deliveries such as you described the scary part doesn't end when the baby leaves the delivery room/OR, it's only just starting. But a great part about working in the NICU is that you will see many of those scary situations resolve. The situation will go from coming to work and wondering if that baby will survive your shift to coming in and wondering how well he/she will breast feed or bottle, or if he'll still get fussy when you put him in the tub and wash his hair. The NICU is an incredible place to work and with your L&D experience you'd make a great addition to the delivery team. I wish you the best of luck.

I think you've misunderstood the OP. I don't think she's saying that delivery is scarier than working in a NICU, I think she's saying what's scary is being the lone neonatal nurse with a sick 25 weeker.

Specializes in L&D.
I think you've misunderstood the OP. I don't think she's saying that delivery is scarier than working in a NICU, I think she's saying what's scary is being the lone neonatal nurse with a sick 25 weeker.

Yep exactly!

This is actually a comment I have heard a lot over the last 25 years, in Peds, PICU and the last 18 in NICU, (and also as the lone transport RN!) There are scary moments and joyous moments and often moments that slide rapidly from one to the other. Over the years I have heard a lot of "I could never do that" and "How can you take care of babies/kids if they might die" and "It takes someone extra special to do what you do"

I think it takes someone special to do any of the jobs that we as nurses are asked to do. A 500gm baby is right up my alley but the thought of being responsible for an entire skilled nursing facility alone, or a psych patient, or a trauma case in the ED, or a hospice pt at home, or a dozen other roles, scares the carp out of me. It is all perspective. You seem to have the right attitude going in. The learning curve is steep. A preemie is definitely not just a very short adult. You will learn an enormous amount and hopefully 25 years from now still be amazed every day by something new. As a specialty, I do believe that NICU has been the most dynamic over the years. The pace of knowledge is amazing; things that we do now weren't dreamed of when I started and care that was common place 15 years ago is now right there with the dinosaurs. Remain open to new ideas and new practices, ask a million questions, be humble, keep a neat bed with cute blankets (this means a lot! :-), treat your patients like the little individuals that they are, and keep an open heart with the most difficult of families (all NICU families are grieving a little).

Blessings to you and welcome to the fold!

Yep exactly!

adpiRn, BSN, RN. Apparently I did misunderstand the point you were trying to make. Regardless, I offered encouragement and support as you start work in the NICU. Your only response of "Yep exactly !" shows exactly what kind of person you are. Good luck.

Specializes in L&D.
adpiRn, BSN, RN. Apparently I did misunderstand the point you were trying to make. Regardless, I offered encouragement and support as you start work in the NICU. Your only response of "Yep exactly !" shows exactly what kind of person you are. Good luck.

Well that was a little uncalled for...

I do appreciate the support of everyone on this board, even if I didn't respond to each individual post.

Thanks everyone!

First day on the floor tomorrow!

Specializes in NICU.
adpiRn, BSN, RN. Apparently I did misunderstand the point you were trying to make. Regardless, I offered encouragement and support as you start work in the NICU. Your only response of "Yep exactly !" shows exactly what kind of person you are. Good luck.

What the what? S/he was responding to my interpretation of the original post.

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
adpiRn, BSN, RN. Apparently I did misunderstand the point you were trying to make. Regardless, I offered encouragement and support as you start work in the NICU. Your only response of "Yep exactly !" shows exactly what kind of person you are. Good luck.

??? How can you tell from ONE post, what type of person she is. Especially when that post was not directed at you.

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