Shout out to fellow NICU forum junkies

Thanks Steve, I agree with everything you said. Most of the time the NICU forum is the only one I read anymore.

My first year of nursing was in the NICU and I sometimes look back at my postings to see how much I grew in that year. I don't think I could every work in any other unit, NICU nurses are the best and our patients are pretty awesome too.

I don't post nearly as much as some of you, but I'm on here pretty much daily. I have laughed out loud and cried real tears reading some of the posts here. I've learned many new things, and hopefully taught some as well. I love what we all bring to this forum.

I :heartbeat allnurses.com NICU nurses!

Hi all,

I just wanted to say what a great bunch of people you all are. As first an addicted reader of this forum, then having the privilege to moderate, I have seen the incredible amount of support we have shown each other.

Whether guiding a newbie through the hellish first year in NICU (as several of us were a few years back) or giving a NICU nurse wannabe ANOTHER day-in-the-life post, (even if we all groan inwardly) you do it with patience and without complaint.

When our primaries and special ones pass away, or miraculously go home, you have been there for each other.

Nowhere else have I seen the level of camaraderie and compassion that I see every day on this forum.

I love moderating this forum because it NEVER has anything but random things for the moderator to do. None of the snarkiness and bad attitudes that can sometimes ruin a good thread. The level of professionalism and mutual respect here amazes me.

So thanks for continuing to put up with me as your mod. I just wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate you guys.....

NICU NURSES ROCK!!!!!

SteveRN21

Hi SteveRN21 and all!

I am a nursing student that is planning on going towards working in a NICU. Yesterday, was my first day training to be a unit secretary in the NICU and all I can say is that I feel like I came home. It's a level III and it can get pretty darn busy with babies coming in via our delivery rooms/ORs, transferring in from other hospitals and occasionally transferring babies to either a children's hospital that has specialty services or to NICUs closer to the patient's homes if there are appropriate facilities. Everyone asked me today if it scared me off and I said, NO WAY...I love it.

I love the way you NICU nurses work together, there is no such thing as "my patient" or "your patient," they are "our patients [babies]." I love that!

I'm also loving reading this forum as it does give me that glimpse in of the care you take with this special population. Thank you all!:yeah:

Kris

I absolutely agree! I love this place! Although I'm not in the NICU (yet), I love to come here and read the posts - to see such compassion and yes even frustration! I can't wait to one day say - I am a NICU nurse!:1luvu:

Gotta say, I left the NICU 18 months ago and I still read this forum....and still love it!!

Everybody here plays nice.

Hi everyone!

im a bit of a lurker here, have posted a few times, but not much. I would have to say i agree with everything said, and even though im not 'new' anymore (being 2 years out of university), i still find allnurses a massive source of support when ive had a bad day, or when im looking for a bit of reassurance!

so basically, a big thank you!

I am addicted to this forum also. I check it daily. I graduate LPN school December 18th and I know I really want to work in NICU. There is a hospital close to me in FL that hires LPNs in NICU, although I am not sure if my husband and I are staying in FL after graduation or not. We want to move back home to Baton Rouge, LA and I don't know if anyone hires LPNs in specialty units there or not.

Thanks, Steve.

I am a "retired" NICU nurse, home with my children for the last 10 years. I recently completed a refresher course, and don't know if I'll return to the NICU or another area of practice, but reading this board keeps me somewhat in touch with the recent changes in NICU care.

You all are doing me a great service!

I'm in my second week externing in the NICU and I have to echo how wonderful NICU nurses are. On clinicals in school, it's hit or miss getting a nurse who is glad to teach you something, is totally annoyed by your presence, or is glad to dump all her work on you and disappear for 8 hours.

In the NICU, I have yet to find a nurse who didn't want me in the room for anything (even when it's hitting the fan, no one has pushed me out) and his happy to teach.

I attended a delivery this afternoon of a 35 weeker of a mom with severe preeclampsia. I got to the DR before the nurse who was going. When she came in, she knew who I was even though I'd not actually worked with her and she let me do everything and just prompted me if I needed it and answered questions. The little girl did super in the DR but got a little apneic later and came to the unit. Again, at the bedside in the unit, no one told me to leave or get back, I grabbed the stethascope and started my assessment just like I'd done it for years. Thanks to all you guys who (I assume) do the same thing every day! I can't wait to tell my classmates how great my summer externship was!

Bryan