katenicuRN

Hi there! As the nurse, it is not your place to judge the patient for their beliefs. Our job is to care for the patient and advocate for them. They need us. Depending on your field, this is a dilemma you will rarely (if ever) face. However, as a nurse you never really know what you'll see. I'm a NICU nurse, in my two years I have only ever spoken with one mother about the topic. She was upset because she believed that due to her previous elective abortions God was punishing her by causing her to deliver her baby at 25 weeks. Regardless of my own beliefs, I did some education and told her that sometimes these things just happen. Her abortions had nothing to do with her new preemie. As her babies nurse, I felt it was my job to comfort her and help her get to where she needed to be so she could be there for her baby. I left out any opinions about abortion or religion I may have out of the conversation, because thats neither here nor there. Prior to nursing school, I was a pretty rigid pro-lifer. However, after beginning nursing school and seeing the evidence, I changed my mind. While I may not personally ever want to do an abortion myself, I absolutely defend the patients right to a safe and accessible abortion. Educating your self on the topic and looking at research is important. I recommend looking at some reliable resources, like google scholar. Once you're in school, your University will probably grant you access to other reliable sources like CINAHL. Educate yourself and form your opinions, but definitely plan a non-biased way to address this topic in your practice if the occasion ever arrises. It is not your job to change the patient's views on things like that. Ultimately, it is the patient's life, not yours.

AmzyRN, thank you for the resources, I will definitely order those books on amazon(:

Thank you Ruby Vee! I think I'm getting too in my head about this and your advice helps calm me down a bit!

SOS ER RN's! I have been a NICU nurse for 2 years now. I recently accepted a new position in the ER! I'm super pumped to do something totally new, but also I'm super nervous! I haven't touched an adult since nursing school and feel like my brain has deleted most things from nursing school that don't relate to NICU. They hired me on as an experienced nurse and orientation is 8-12 weeks. Is this enough?? I have about 3 weeks between my last NICU shift and starting my ER job. I plan on taking that time to study (while also moving states lol). Looking for recommendations on study materials, books, podcasts, blogs, or anything else I can use to feel a little more confident starting my new job. Also open to any advice you may have! Thanks!(:

Hey! I'm in a similar situation as you are. I have been a NICU nurse for 2 years. It was my first nursing job and while I love the kiddos, the pace is too slow for me. I also get frustrated with feeling like I have less autonomy than I would in an ER. I just accepted a position in the ER and I'm pumped but also kind of a nervous wreck. How has your experience been transitioning NICU to ER? I haven't touched an adult since nursing school and I'm a little nervous that they have hired me on as an "experienced nurse" rather than doing a residency. Is orientating for 8-12 weeks enough?

Hey AR nurses! I'm a NICU nurse in Texas. I'm considering going back to school for Neonatal Nurse Practitioner or Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. I am originally from NWA but have only worked in Texas, so I'm not super familiar with how common these two fields are in Arkansas. I'm really thinking my dream is to be an NNP, but if I ever moved back to Arkansas I'm afraid this would limit my options. I would also be interested in pursuing a PNP position in a critical care setting as well. I've been trying to see what I can find online, but I'm not seeing a lot of these professionals or any job openings. I'm afraid I'm going to get a degree that I can do more with in Texas, but if I ever want to move home I'll be screwed. I guess what I am really wanting to know, if I wanted to move back to Arkansas ( preferably NWA) is there even a market for NNPs or PNPs. ex. Washington Regional, Willow Creek, the new Children's Hospital? I'm sure my options would be better in Little Rock, but I'd appreciate any advice or knowledge! Thanks(:

NNP students! I'm a current NICU RN looking at NNP programs. I am interested in University of Texas Medical Branch and University of Texas Arlington's online programs. Just wondering what the pro's and con's are for each program. What was your experience like with these schools? Also, advice for applying to NNP programs is welcome! Thanks!