hey korleone...
i've been in the nicu for over 3 and 1/2 years, and i absolutely love what i do here. there is soooo much more to do than just feed the babies and put them to sleep.
first of all, if you are in the nicu, you are not dealing with normal newborns. the majority of the babies here are premature ones. the smallest baby we have in our nicu now is 23 weeks. you will learn how to start ivs, place foley catheters, manage different types of vents, suction via the ett, place ngt/ogt, and your assessment skills will be awesome. you will learn by looking at the abgs/cbgs, monitor, vents, and the infant how he/she is doing. you will attend c-sections, stat/emergency deliveries, and you will see some disease processes and genetic anomalies that will blow your mind. you will learn how to deal with the family members, neos, nnps, and other nursing staff. you will learn how to manage chest tubes, hold an infant for a lumbar puncture, assist with central line placements (uvc/uacs), learn how to interpret x-rays...you will learn how to respond when a premature infant codes...you will learn how to draw up emergency meds, push blood and blood products, and you will come face to face with your own personal convicitions of how to deal with death. you will smile when the infant you have been taking care of for the past 3-4 months goes home. you will comfort parents during their darkest hours.
i could go on and on, but i just wanted you to know that in the nicu, we do much more here than just feed and put infant's to sleep. you are going to be joining one of the more specialized units in any hospital. it truly takes a special person to thrive in this environment. plus, the neos in our unit tend to bond with the male rns here more tightly than our female counterparts. i wish you well on your internship and let us know how it goes for you. good luck!