FLRN_0713

I started in a MBU and after a year, finally secured myself a job at a NICU. Does your unit have a newborn nursery? I was able to work my way into the newborn nursery and was crosstrained to being the L/D baby nurse. I would look for RN hiring events and internships for nurses switching specialities. I actually got my NICU job at a hiring events and was able to impress the NICU table enough despite having a year experience.

Another question that I mentioned in the post above but I'm sure it is buried in text (I hate the time wait on posts for this site!), would getting some kind of home health position with pediatric patients after I get a year or so experience under my belt be a good decision to help me make that transition to pediatrics? I am already NRP certified (I thought that would help me in the hiring process), but that will be expired before my 2 year contract is up at the PCU so I'll have to redo that, in addition to PALS and whatever other ones are relevant. I was thinking I could do something per diem but I don't know how that works with home health. I am doubtful that I'd be able to find a per diem position in a NICU or peds floor at another facility without some extensive training, so I am trying to think outside of the box and get some pediatric experience elsewhere while I stay in PCU.

Thank you, that is great advice. I am thinking after I get some RN experience under my belt, to look at some home health opportunities with pediatric patients. Does that seem like a decent idea? Thank you, I really appreciate your input. I don't mind the bodily fluids (except suctioning patients/oral secretions, that for some reason triggers my gag reflex? lol but I'm sure I'll get over it eventually). We had an EKG class the first week, and ACLS today and tomorrow. The EKG teachers were so amazing. Wish I had them back in nursing school. I'm happy to know there are lots of short nurses thriving and doing amazing in PCU. Wow, thank you so much for that. That makes me feel a lot better about my PCU position. Obviously I enjoy all kinds of nursing and don't "dislike" adult nursing, my heart is with kids, especially babies!

Wow, thank you so much for that! I have been having a lot of second thoughts and worries about PCU and reading that was really, really reassuring. I think I was/am just getting cold feet. I will definitely take your advice and stay, preferably for the duration of my contract (2 years) so I can leave on good terms. I have some questions, if you don't mind answering. I tried searching online but nothing came up, and my unit gave me a tour but the topic of patient care didn't come up a whole lot and I forgot to ask (super nervous lol). Can you tell me about the kind of total body care that you do as a PCU nurse? Like assisting with eating, bathing, toileting, bed sheets, etc? The floor has techs but at the end of the day, I know it is my responsibility to make sure certain things are done and I just want to be prepared to know what the level of abilities the patients usually are. Do the patients get out of bed and ambulate to the bathroom alone? I apologize if this is a dumb question, I honestly just don't know what to expect. I don't mind if there is a lot/little, I'm mostly curious to how it compares to med-surg and ICU (which is where I did clinical at). I'm only 4'9" and not the strongest person, so I found I struggled with moving even small adult patients. Obviously I should ask for help with that stuff, but I know sometimes it is busy and you don't always get all the help you want/need. I'll also be on night shift. My orientation is going really fantastic, we are doing classroom training for 6 weeks including ACLS and some really amazing simulation stuff (haven't gotten to that yet). I'm learning so much already.

I'm really hoping I will enjoy it, and I realize my nursing school experience wasn't the same thing as being the actual nurse. I'm doing my best to keep an open mind. I just love working with kids and babies so much. What is your favorite thing about working in PCU? I would have loved to start in a NICU! I applied, but didn't get any interviews. The NICUs in the area all had requirements for experience, which I didn't have as a new grad. I actually had to relocate to a different part of the state to start this residency program, I didn't get a single interview for my hometown. I got accepted into a new grad residency program, was interviewed for a PCU unit, and took it. I had graduated 2 months prior and needed a job, so that's where I am now.

Yeah, I don't think it would be worth the risk of making myself ineligible for hire - I didn't even think of that so I'm grateful someone mentioned that. I just hope that I can break into something with babies after working this unit. I imagine pediatric cardiac ICU wouldn't be a bad transition, but I don't think there are a lot of units like that.

I will have to look back and read through the contract more closely - I like the idea of staying PRN to avoid leaving on poor terms. Thank you for your input. I got this job very suddenly (interviewed on a Friday and offered the position an hour later and had to accept that day since it was the last day for decision). I had been searching for a job for over 2 months at that point, so accepted it and figured I would make the rest work. I will probably just have to wait until I get on the unit and see how it is. I know 2 years will fly by. I am just worried I won't like PCU (I was never a fan of med-surg, not big on adult ICU either), and that working with adults for 2 years will make it hard to break into peds/NICU.

There is a hospital that does peds nearby (including L&D and NICU), but it's with a different hospital system. I applied but never got any interviews. I'm in the StaRN program with HCA, and I signed a contract to stay with this floor (the PCU) for 2 years. I imagine that I could probably manage to switch hospitals/floors as long as I stayed with HCA, but the nearest hospital with peds or NICU is about an 1.5 hours north. I took the new grad position, figuring experience is better than waiting for my dream job to come around. I was thinking maybe stay at the PCU for 6 months, get comfortable in my role as a nurse, and then start sending applications to the hospital with NICU nearby and see what happens. If I manage to secure a job on a pediatric floor, I'll pay the money back for the training, and take that opportunity. I wouldn't want to burn that bridge, but I got into nursing to do NICU. Does that sound okay?

Thank you for your opinion. I am leaning towards staying PCU, I am just a bit worried about getting stuck in adult nursing and being unable to make that transition.

Hello! So I just got accepted into a new grad residency program, and I was hired for a PCU floor. My eventual goal is to work NICU, but I obviously know I need some serious training/experience before working with that population. The program also has some openings in the ED for new grads. I feel like I will be able to get some really fantastic skills from PCU that will definitely transition over to a NICU setting, but I'm wondering if ED would be a better place to start. I could ask my recruiter about switching to the ED track. Opinions? My facility doesn't have any peds, but the ED obviously sees a certain amount of pediatric patients.