NICU nursing

I just applied to my local community college and will begin my general education classes this fall. Im 22 and a stay at home mom. I have no prior work experience in the medical field but when i had my daughter last Feb. it was like a calling for me. I never imagined id want to be a nurse(ever, it would prob. be at the bottom of my list of things to do), but i never realized until i had my little girl(8 weeks early, level 2 nicu) how much a nurse can make a difference. Nurses really are angels:) It has weighed heavy on my heart since then to get out there and pursue nursing as a neonatal nurse. Is it stupid of me to plunge into this without prior experience?.. do you believe you can be "called" to nurse...i feel like in the past 16 months ive done a complete 180. Also im very shy and i dont have thick skin..every post i read says you cant be a nurse if your shy and soft..any advice?

Thanks for the encouragement:).. it helps to know other people have that same gut feeling about nursing! and good luck to you on becoming a nicu nurse also!!

Go for it!! It is def. a calling! Not just anyone can do it, it takes passion and a lot of hard work! I didn't have one clue aboue nursing when I entered nursing school, but I knew I just had to do it!! I'm shy too, but when I'm in work mode, that all goes away, i focus on my patients and what needs to be done. Don't read into every post, everyone has their own opinion and mine is you can do ANYTHING you set your mind too. Yes, things are going to gross you out & there are certain things you will hate, but in time...you get over it and get the job done:) && I just graduated and have a job in a level 3 NICU.

thanks so much!! It is something i feel like i have to do! Congrats on working in the nicu, how are you liking it so far?

I start there on June 27 :) But when I did my clinicals there last semester, I LOVED IT!

congrats on starting your schooling journey!! I didn't have any medical experience when I started and it was fine. I am also non-confrontational, and don't like to be in the limelight-I understand. You will develop a toughness when needed; for the pt's and families that need firm limits set so they can get better, to get your point across to docs who don't want to listen, or are a sleep in the middle of the night, etc. It will come, don't feel like it is required in order to learn!

good luck!

Hi there! Good for you! First of all, there are many excellent nurses with many different personalities. I'm sure you noticed that when your baby was in the NICU :)

I had my 8 year old son when I was 24 and I had no health experience either. His 8 week NICU stay (in a level III, he had a few issues), inspired me as well. I started pre reqs after my second son turned one year, and I just graduated from nursing school in May and am hoping to start out in the NICU as well. After my son was born I knew that the NICU is where I belong. I was fortunate enough to do my preceptorship in NICU, which just confirmed what I already knew. You should absolutely follow your dream! Good luck!

I am a NICU baby. I was born at 24 weeks, and weighed 1lb 8oz. (My mom was told the usual bad news. She'll never walk, she'll have CP, she'll be blind blah blah blah...) I had some severe breathing problems I think I was 9 the last time I had to be hospitalized. And I have bad vision in my right eye. Other than that I am perfectly fine. I know that if it wasn't for the outstanding training and knowledge my NICU nurses had, I definitely wouldn't be able to go to nursing school, let alone become a NICU nurse myself. I honestly cannot wait, I have one more year of Nursing School left. This has been very hard. I wouldn't have been able to make it to my goal if it wasn't for my mom (who's a nurse also). I have had no experience what so ever in the healthcare field. However, I did take a CNA course at the college so I could get some kind of small leg up. Anyways I'm totally rambling now! Definitely follow your dream! Don't ever let anyone tell you you cannot do something. Nursing is definitely a calling. Not every one is able to handle our profession, but those that can blessed beyond belief! Good Luck, you're gonna hate certain parts of nursing school, I can't stand Med Surg. it is a serious struggle for me to tough it out, and now I only have 2 more semesters of it! You may want to cry every time you get a test back. But in the end what you learn about life and compassion and yourself, will outweigh everything else!

thanks everyone:)

I'm so glad your daughter is doing well :)

Go ahead and read some threads on this forum; there's lots of good information. Nursing education in the USA is mostly focused on adults (usually a quarter/semester on pediatrics), so I want to caution to you that you won't be learning much about babies in school and even then after you get out, it may be hard to find a NICU job as a new grad depending where you live.

But I hope that everything goes well for you. I got hired into the NICU as a new grad into a large children's hospital and I have loved it and wouldn't do anything else at this point :)