nursingstudent0814

Thank you very much! And yes, I'm pretty sure our program let's us do internships during the last semester. I'm going into 3rd semester in January so I will have OB/pedi rotation and am pretty excited about that! I really do believe NICU is where I want to be but I'm also very aware that that may change quickly! I haven't experienced everything yet so I can't say for sure. Its always been close between NICU and ER, so we will see!

I think I have heard of "compassion fatigue" and I have had concerns about that for myself. I do believe that working because you need the money is completely okay, but I was talking more about ppl choosing nursing ONLY because they think it pays well( I know there are discrepancies about that). I guess when I say that money is a bad motive I am thinking back to an experience a close friend of mine had in clinical where some of our classmates refused to give a patient a bath because that "wasn't their job" and that's the reason they were going for their BSN( apparently they think they won't have to bathe anyone). These people are the ones who are in the profession for the wrong reasons. Of course people are nurses because they need money, but if that's the only reason and you have absolutely no love for the job then you may not turn out to be the best nurse, and I understand that some nurses who love what they do may not be the best, either. I know motives done necessarily determine how you do your job, but I see it as being on a continuum rather than just a black and white statement.

Absolutely! I couldn't agree more!

I couldn't agree more! Absolutely all patients deserve all of those things!

Thank you for that advice! I hadn't really thought of it that way before. I've always tried to take that price of my history and put a positive spin on it as I am the only one in my biological family who has gone to college and possibly the only one to finish high school. I've always used it as an example to show determination and motivation, but you are completely right in the fact that many people sometimes have biases that they aren't even aware of until its brought to mind. Thanks!

No one said anything about an idealistic angel. I was simply listing my thoughts as to what gives me the desire to be a NICU nurse. And yes, many employers ask some form of the question "why do you want to work in this area", "why do you believe you are qualified for this particular job?". It's great to hear that your motives do not affect your work, however, just like the first person to comment on this mentioned, sometimes passion is the only thing that gets her back to work. It's a proven fact that people who love what they do tend to fair better in the job. If you hate your job, you're more likely to get burnt out more quickly, more irritated....If you have 2 nurses, one who is there of the money and hates doing the work, they are most likely to skip small, meaningful details, like simply giving a patient a back rub after a bath. Motives DO matter to some extent. Different motives affect people in different ways. My reasons listed have nothing to do with a stereotypical idealistic angel, as a matter of fact, the most common stereotype people mention being weary of in this area of nursing are the ones who want the job because "they love babies" or "want to play with babies all day". I actually gave very thought out reasons that are meaningful to me, instead of the stereotypical "I love babies". I'm very confused as to why my reasons listed would be offensive to anyone. What if I said I went through these forums and found all the qualities that people find "good" NICU nurses to have and picked out the ones that naturally applied to me and came up with this list of reasons? Reasons and qualities that people on this forum made clear that they think makes a good nurse? It seems like people hate when someone expresses how they feel in an honest way, especially if it happens to cause some type of internal conflict for those who are constantly comparing themselves to others. This wasn't meant to make anyone else feel bad and in no way was it supposed to be a "I'm better than you" message, it was simply my thoughts and feelings about the topic.

Passionate, I am! Thanks for the good luck wishes! I do have 2 semesters left before graduation and something may change my mind, but probably not. You are right, its not some mystical journey (although I find that particular comment made me feel like how I feel is somewhat silly, and I don't appreciate blushing behind a computer screen because I feel like my thoughts are kinda being poked at). Other than that, I have to disagree about pure motives! No, you do not have to have pure motives to do the job, but your motives will determine how you do the job. The "why do you want to be a nurse" is the most important factor in what type of nurse you become! If it wasn't, employers wouldn't incorporate it in every interview given.

I am still in nursing school, 3rd semester. I have been considering working in the NICU and I've decided to post my thoughts and feelings on why I want to do this. I'm interested to receive feedback on whether my reasons are sufficient and if my feelings are shared by others who have chosen a career path in the NICU or if I am misreading my own feelings and am fooling myself into believing I am suited for working in the NICU. please bear with me because it is long, but important to me to have feedback. - Babies are the innocence of the world- they all deserve the most devoted and passionate advocates, whether it be the last caring touch before beginning their life outside the hospital doors or the last caring touch while taking their last breath of life. - The parents of the v babies need advocates, too. The parents need someone who they can feel comfortable with, someone they feel their baby is safe with. Someone to keep a threshold of hope, especially when theirs is wavering. Someone to connect with when b they feel no one else can possibly understand how they feel. Someone who knows they, in fact, can never fully understand how they feel, but is possibly the only one who can come close to understanding. Someone who can recognize and differentiate between sympathy and empathy; who can be okay with not completely understanding the emotional rollercoaster the parents are on, but has the desire and drive to keep trying to relate in all ways possible. - I was born addicted to drugs, and although I will never be able to fully comprehend how the nurses felt while caring for me, it's enough to know that someone spent long hours of their time, donated their emotions and knowledge to me in hopes of me living a full life. That is amazing and instills an immeasurable amount of appreciation in me. I would love to make that kind of difference in someone else's life. Not because I want to feel important, not because I want to be thanked, but because at the end of the day, whether acknowledged or not, I know I have played a positive part in making a difference to the patient and the family. Whether the final outcome is ideal or devastating, the important thing is to do it because you want to, because you wouldn't feel right not doing it. - The NICU is also appealing to me in a medical sense. Babies are intricate, they require keen senses, attention to detail, and someone willing to learn more, research odd or foreign problems, symptoms, and possibilities. They deserve someone who is willing to do more, someone who wants the answers. I am an inquisitive person, a critical thinker, an abstract thinker. I take all possibilities into considerations and that in turn keeps my eyes and brain open and aware of all details. - They (patient and family) deserve someone who understands the balance of science and support. Someone who sees the line between wanting a cure and knowing when enough is enough. Someone who wants to do everything medically possible yet understands and accepts when the more important move is to provide support, and care for the baby and the family. Someone who can provide caring communication and read people and be willing to connect on many different (professional) levels. I believe I have all of these qualities, Is that enough?