bewareofthephog

Wasn't sure where exactly to ask this so I figured I would start here. I currently work in a NICU at a children's hospital and the heart patients are generally my favorite to work with. There's a cath lab position open at my hospital and I was just curious if anyone had any peds cath lab experience that would be able to give some pros/cons of the job? Most of the post op heart cath and CV surgery kids end up in the PICU here so I I'm just spitballing hoping that someone would be able to give some insight. Feel free to redirect me if needed!

I interviewed for a level IV new grad position that I'll start in July. I'm not sure what the interview process is like at the hospital you're interviewing for but in my experience there was a "video interview" which was really just myself recording my own answers to generic questions like what is your biggest strength/weakness, why do you want to work NICU, what part of critical care interests you the most etc. I don't have any trouble with public speaking but recording myself talking to basically nobody was kind of awkward! After the video interview I was selected for an "in person" interview which was actually a peer group interview with an educator, and two bedside nurses. The questions here were also relatively generic questions such as what do you know about the hospital and the unit you're interviewing for a position on. Then there were some situational questions such as how would you deal with upset/stressed parents and what would you do if you noticed a medication error of some sort and then I was just asked why I felt I was the best fit for the position. As far as preparing I would suggest finding some of the more generic job interview questions asked in nursing interviews and writing/typing out your answers and going over them a couple of times so that you'll know the answer to the majority of questions you might be asked. Good luck!

I'll be graduating in May and I will be working in a level IV NICU. Everything IIg said is important but I can expand on a couple of those points. 1. Choose NICU topics whenever possible for research because you'll find that caring for neonatal patients is a whole different ball of wax from treating adults. And at least at the two schools in my area, neonatal nursing is taught for about 20 minutes before spending the rest of the pediatrics course learning about healthy newborns. 2. I was lucky to have a job in a NICU which is where I actually found out it was what I wanted to do upon graduating. Being around it in any way possible is a fantastic experience and if you find a few nurses who are willing to show you the interesting stuff you'll be very well off. Although I was also very proactive and did my own research on some of the conditions because like I said, they aren't really taught in school. 3. Volunteering/Internships in the NICU's in my area is not an option for students so the summer between my first and second year of nursing school I got a second job as a tech in my hospital's ICU. I know that babies and adults are different but I was able to learn quite a bit of general stuff about art lines, dialysis, therapeutic hypothermia, how to handle code situations, and just general ICU stuff that I felt might have given me a boost in my interview. Now my own bit of advice as someone who was in your shoes two years ago... Keep an open mind about what you want to do after graduation. If you're anything like me you might find yourself looking for completely different jobs after school. When I started school I was like 100% sure that i would be some kind adult CVICU or ED nurse and now I'm going to work with little babies. The job I took as a secretary in NICU was supposed to help me get my foot in the door to transfer to one of those departments and now I've worked there for 3 years and couldn't imagine working anywhere else. That being said I'm also hoping to cross train to PICU because there is a PEDs CVICU at my hospital and I'm still fascinated by hearts. It just goes to show how your interests and passions can change in such a short amount of time.

Although I'm only graduating from nursing school, I have to say I feel the exact same way. I'm not married but I've been working 36hrs per week for the last two years while attending a full time program. I know a lot of my stress/lack of motivation comes from working but I'm working to pay for my undergrad out of pocket so I won't have debt after graduation. Just like you I try to make plans to get ahead with my work and when it comes down to it, I also find other things to do to avoid the work. I second what amoLucia suggested...I absolutely am in need of some R&R for a short time after graduation before beginning to study for boards. Keep on trucking! Before we know it we won't have the stress of school in our lives!

I've worked in the NICU as a ward clerk for the last two and a half years and after begging my manager to allow me to take STABLE she finally let me take it earlier this year. As a nursing student on the unit I have soaked up any information given to me like a sponge. Taking stable was fantastic for me because I was able to tie some things together that I had already learned but it also was a great source of new information. Luckily STABLE is part of the curriculum for my new grad residency because I'm sure there was plenty of stuff I missed during my first time taking the class! Thanks for the input! I'll definitely have to look in to purchasing those books!

Hello everyone! I've accepted a new grad job in a Level IV NICU upon graduating in May. I'm both terrified and eager to get started and learn as much as possible! I was hoping some of you who currently work or have worked in a NICU before may be able to pass on some things I may need to know to help me be more successful. I've read quite a few forums that talk about the importance of organization and asking questions and basic advice like that. However, I'm looking more for things I should begin reading up on or for tidbits of information that will help me to have a solid foundation of knowledge upon starting. Thanks in advance!

I work as a secretary in a NICU and we had a new mom who was paralyzed from the waist down and was obviously always in a wheel chair. The nurse was going over some basic orientation stuff with the mom and said something like "Most of this will be easier to do once you're out of that wheelchair." Luckily the mom had a good sense of humor and actually thought it was funny. Her response was "Oh honey, I don't think I'll be out of this chair anytime soon."

I still have 3 semesters of nursing school left but have also been considering going the CRNA path after a couple of experiences I had in clinicals. I wouldn't be graduating until May 2017. I'm not necessarily one to do the minimum of anything but what would be the minimum amount of critical care experience to get into a CRNA school? Would I be able to get a sufficient amount of experience to get into a school before the program's switch to doctorate level programs?

I'm not sure if this is necessarily the right forum to post in but I think answers from nurses may be more helpful than from nursing students. I'm a first semester nursing student and starting tomorrow I'll be observing for the first time in a hospital setting. However instead of actually being assigned a patient to care for, I'll be observing wound care, a PICC line nurse and then an OR observation. I'm not really able to do anything in these three settings other than shadow the nurse and provide minimal assistance. This being the case I was just wondering what kinds of things I should be on the lookout for that will allow me to benefit the most from these clinical situations. For example maybe patient interaction or maybe sterile technique etc. Anything else anybody can think of really. All suggestions are appreaciated!

As a male nursing student, I don't think I need to find a male to look up to in the field. I recognized a long time ago that I don't need a role model of the same gender as myself to look up to. I work as a secretary in a NICU and there's only one male nurse. There are a couple of nurses who I work with who have kind of taken me under their wing and make an effort to show me thing's that are out of the ordinary and explain what causes them and what problems it may cause for the patient. There's one nurse in particular who seems to make the extra effort to show me things or just teach me things in general about the profession even though she obviously has her own stuff to take care of during the day. She can explain anything in a way that someone else could understand it, knows the answer to pretty much every question whether it be about patient care or the general running of the unit, and is always willing to teach someone if they will listen to her. Basically she's superwoman. I do have other nursing role models such as my parents but it's an entirely different learning experience when the knowledge is coming from someone who you have a professional relationship with rather than learning from your parents who have been teaching you for your whole life. If you can find someone who is willing to teach you or guide you in any way I would suggest picking their brain. The knowledge an experienced nurse is extremely useful whether it comes from a male or female.

I used to think I wanted to work at a major trauma center or CVICU but I started a job as a unit secretary in NICU thinking I would just get my foot in the door at the hospital and then take a different job on one of those floors as a tech or secretary when one opened up. However after a year, plenty of those types of jobs have opened up around me and I've stayed at the NICU because I find it fascinating. The nurses I work with know I'm starting nursing school in August and have been great about showing me anything that is the least bit interesting. I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed at how small a 24-25 week kid can be or how much equipment their delicate little bodies can be hooked up to.