zippitydoda

Nursing Unions are something I've always wondered about. As a military nurse, I haven't had to worry about it, but soon I will be entering the civilian sector and I need to make the decision. I spoke with one hospital and the Nurse Manager told me, "we're non-union and we want to keep it that way." What are the pros and cons of belonging to a union? Having grown up the daughter of a Teamster, I always felt that Unions protected the workers. But to be honest, I'm really uninformed on the topic. Anyone else have any insight?

Thank you all SO MUCH for your advice. You all brought up so many things that I hadn't ever thought of (or wasn't sure would be appropriate to ask). I feel so much better now. Thanks again. Just as a side note...I've been a NICU wannabe for some time and have spent many an hour lurking through this forum. Your advice and experience has really been a great source of inspiration and encouragement for me. Thanks again.

Wow! Thanks mischievium for a great synopsis of a day in the life of a NICU nurse! P.S. What's HAL?

Thanks so much for your input! After getting a really terrible orientation on my current unit (shuffled daily from one preceptor to the next--resulting in noone investing much time in teaching me anything but the bare basics), I'm really intent on not reliving that experience. In other words, I guess it's not that I'm deadset on having just one preceptor, but I am deadset against having 10 preceptors! Any advice on how to spot a "pit from a palace" before you start working there? Thanks again for taking the time to reply. I'm so excited to join the ranks of the NICU nurse and just want to make sure I get the best training possible.

Hello all, I have been offered a staff RN position in a 51 bed Level III NICU (Los Angeles area). I have no NICU experience, but have been a Nurse for 10 years. Currently I work at a small overseas military hospital on an LDRP unit and have some adult ICU experience. My main question is how long of an orientation do you think I would need? I want to make sure I'm not short changed. Also, is it reasonable to demand the same preceptor for the entire orientation (and also request that it is someone who really likes to teach)? Also, I still feel like I should research other NICUs in the area rather than accept the first offer I've received, but I'm not sure how to tell the difference between them all. What kinds of questions should I be asking? Any red flags to watch out for? Thanks so much for any advice you can give me.