Starting as a mother-infant nurse in a month...nervous! what to expect?

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Hello all,

I got offered a job on a mother-infant unit at a very large hospital with 30 beds. I am very nervous and very excited.

I have been a nurse for a little over a year and am in school to receive my BSN and will finish in April. For the last year I have been working at a rehabilitation hospital specializing in strokes, amputations, brain injuries, and SCI's. It operates very similarly to a med-surg unit. Lots of pills, pain medication, dressing changes, treatments, PEGs, and trachs. It is a very fast paced environment and I often have 6-7 patients which I feel is too much.

Anyways....I got offered this job and I absolutely could not pass it up because I have always loved this area of nursing! I am so excited to start but as a nurse with no experience in this field, I want to know from anyone what I should expect on a unit like this.

Do you love it? Better than med-surg?

Thanks and I would love any advice.

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I've only ever worked in this area but it's nice. Much cleaner than med surg haha. Still can be quite stressful because we typically have at least 6 patients, mom plus baby. And you might not do all of the skills you used in LTC but you will pick up some new ones!

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Specializes in NICU.

LOADS of patient education. And the occasional wondering, "Am I really sending this helpless child home with these people?"

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Haha!!! I will probably have that thought cross my mind fairly often

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I love working in mother baby. Do a search on AN and you will find so many tips!

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