CaliNicuRN

I am nearly 3 years in as a NICU nurse and still worry about missing something or forgetting something. My biggest concern is that I will miss signs that a baby's condition is worsening. This is an area of nursing where you will always have new thi...

I think that UCSF has a NNP on campus. Is there such a thing as an online NNP?

Very well said! I had those same feelings and did in fact leave the NICU, at 8 months in. I was unhappy with the unit overall and thought that it meant I was not cut out for the NICU (my dream all through school). I left and went to a step down sp...

I do get alot of "should I see the doctor, what do you think this is...." I have told my kids to stop telling people I am a nurse. ESPECIALLY at their sporting events. If something happens and I'm comfortable going to someone's aid, I'd like to cho...

Most any hospital will have you working with low income patients. Though some hospitals are more so than others.

On different note, I second what another poster said about being too tired to do anything. :) I found my 2 yr program to be a living hell. However, I LOVE my job and career. It was all worth it. Keep us all in mind for support. This site is a g...

I live in California, went to a ADN program here. I was tested before school, they would not allow us into the hospitals as student nurses w/out the drug test. The 3 hospitals I have worked at all require a drug test as a condition of employment. ...

I can understand your concerns, but I have to say the men I have worked with in the NICU rock! We have several male RNs on the pm and the night shift and I love working with them. My preceptor when I began in the nicu was a man and he was very know...

Hello New Grad! I know I never felt I would get past that feeling. I am nearly 2 years into my career in the NICU. I actually left my first hospital because I was so scared of harming a patient. Within my first year and a half I changed hospitals ...

I really would not recommend neonatal icu for you. There is alot of patient/family teaching. These infants are fragile and nosocomial infections are trouble in ANY area of the hospital. That is all I can say and maintain my "niceness" so I'll sto...

Thank you for tracking your feelings the way you did. I wish I had done that. I'm a year and a half in and do feel "settled" if not always wonderful. I changed jobs 3x my first 14 months in and I think that is part of why it took me so long to fee...

I have worked with about 6-8 male NICU nurses, and two male charge nurses in the NICU. I wouldn't trade any of them! The charge nurses are fantastic, very supportive and even tempered. I say go for it! If you love your job, the families and your...

To be the devil's advocate here...... I wouldn't look at it so much as the night nurse writing up the day nurse. I would view it as policy and procedure. A med was missed. If the noc nurse noticed it and didn't document it somehow she was negligen...

We had a little 25 weeker that actually had a wonderful nicu course. He was on room air by 26 weeks... never intubated... Amazing. Anyhow his parents named him "Gift". His middle name was very normal, something like Brian. We all called him by hi...

The men in my unit and my previous one have been very very well accepted. I love having a mix of men and women in our unit. Go where you will be happiest. The Nicu is very rewarding.

I agree completely and as a fellow nurse, thank you for reminding me I'm not a female nurse any more than you need to be termed a male nurse. I absolutely love the mix that having both men and women in our profession brings!

I'm sorry for your pain. Yes, we have a tie to law enforcement, paramedics, firefighters, emt's and other health/rescue related people. I am personally married to a police officer. I know many nurses married to other rescue workers. I think the tie i...

You may not need your own scope. Often the NICU's have dedicated scopes for each baby to avoid cross contamination. Check with your hospital before you make the purchase. :)

If this is your passion and your goal, DO NOT GIVE UP. I had many tough trials during school and nearly didn't make it through 4th semester clinicals. Fortunately I pulled myself together. My point is reapply. Get back in there and do it! You ca...

I have seen vesicular lesions at birth that were NOT herpes. It was similar to those. The mom had a genetic syndrome and the lesions were part of the syndrome that was obviously passed onto baby. The family had an older child also with the syndrom...

I think alot of new grads are overworked and stressed to the max. I know some of it is because we are learning so much and nothing is 2nd nature yet. We can't rely on having good habits because we are still forming them. I am a new grad and am on m...

I had a terrible time remembering hyper/hypo tonic. I made a simple thing in my head and never forgot. Now it isnt saying which solutions are which, you have to remember those. Hypertonic and you need to see the shrink (hypertonic soln shrink the ce...

The OP says he's venting. How about educating the OP or NOT making a post that comes across so judgemental and condescending?

Big hugs to us all! This is tough and it feels like one never ending trial after another.

When did you graduate? I don't know that being an "older" student or older new nurse makes or breaks a new nurse. I am a new nurse also and it's been a rocky road. I'm also in the NICU and I do think that going into a specialty right out of school...