Remember back when..

[Tiny1Nisolet]

you were new to the NICU?:uhoh21: What types of things did you do to cement all of the vast amount of info in your brain? Was it helpful to come home and write out the drugs? Did you re-read the pathophys for the dx processes that you saw? What types of things, tips, or tricks did you use?

Thanks for the assistance, it is very valued.

~Tiny1

[cathys01]

I don't have to go way back to remember when I first started because I've only been at this for 14 months, but still...

I know one thing I did that helped me alot was that every day I came home and researched anything that was completely new to me. For example, on one of my very first days on Level III orientation, my preceptor and I had an assignment of two babies that had Twin-to-Twin Transfusion - I had the big kid and she took the little one. That night, when I got home I spent probably 3 hours reading everything I could find on the internet about TTTS, just so I would have a clear understanding of the possible outcomes for these babies and expected morbidities, etc.

Of course, I (being a total book nerd) tend to want to research everything, so it's almost more of a hobby for me...but I've learned alot about the specific population doing my own research than in school - because we just don't hear about so many of these things in nursing school.

I also made "cheat sheets" with quick notes on unit guidelines (ie. how often to change IV tubings, discharge requirements for a term baby vs. preterm, critical lab values, procedures for administered iNO, feeding guidelines, etc.) and these are still helpful and I use them every day.

[kitty29]

I used to read-up on each pt./or new case in the unit: in the most recent book of info I could get my hands on.

Within a year I trained to transport. That was a wonderful souce of info.! But I would now recommend waiting at least 2 years before training for transport.