Student to Observe NICU

TexasPediRN · Mar 5, 2006

I am going to the NICU on Monday to observe for a day and was hoping for some tips on what to ask, what to look for and what to NEVER do. I got good advice from the surgical nurses before my day in the OR and was hoping for some of the same from you NICU veterans. Thanks!

I havent been to a NICU in a while, but I have done clinical rotations there when I was a student and I have worked there as an aide on occasion.

NICU is a different environment from any other floor, and personally I love it. Cant wait til the day I can go back there, but thats another story.

I'd have to say its observe only, and when the drs come in to do rounds, make sure to follow them!! Hopefully its a good neonatologist that day,and you can learn a lot from them.

I dont know how the NICU is set up you are going to, or what level it is. That being said, there may be some babies to bottle feed, etc, but I think that its going to be mostly observing. With the more critical patients, there are specific things- diapers are weighed when changed to determine output, etc.

I have a feeling its just going to be an observation day for you but make the best of it! Ask questions, when the nurses do their assessments on their babies go with them, and make sure to follow the docs on rounds.

Good luck! I hope some seasoned NICU nurses here can give you more advice, but I wanted to give you my imput from the days I was a student in the NICU. Its a great place to be and I hope you enjoy it and are able to learn many new things :)

-Meghan :nurse:

Gompers, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2006

I am going to the NICU on Monday to observe for a day and was hoping for some tips on what to ask, what to look for and what to NEVER do. I got good advice from the surgical nurses before my day in the OR and was hoping for some of the same from you NICU veterans. Thanks!

Well I'm not sure how other hospitals handle nursing students in their NICUs, but my hospital (and also the one where I observed a NICU when in school) only allows observation for students. This means that you probably won't be touching anything and definitely won't be charting or taking pateint care responsibilities. You will probably be assigned to a nurse who is caring for a "typical" NICU patient or two. If there is nurse-to-nurse report, just listen in and ask questions later - and you will have questions! Follow your nurse around and get a feel for what his/her typical shift is like. NICU nursing is very unique and our routines are pretty interesting. Feel free to ask a lot of questions, and if something exciting seems to be happening elsewhere in the unit, ask your nurse if the two of you have time to go check it out.

Whenever I've had students with me, I've tried to do everything "out loud" so they know what I'm doing and thinking, and so they feel more a part of things since they're really just observing and that can get boring. I've explained things as I go along so most of their questions are answered. I've never had a student do my work for me - not even vital signs - because you really do need special training to do that kind of thing with sick neonates. The only times I've had students actually doing hands-on stuff is if they're assisting me. I've had them hold a baby steady while I've done IVs or lab draws, or had them help with weighs or linen changes.

I'll never forget the time I had four students milling around me because I was apparently more friendly than the nurses they'd been assigned to! One of them was very vocal about wanting to do NICU as a career, and I remembered how excited I was the day I did my NICU observation in school. When it came time to weigh the baby (she was 800 grams and on a nasal cannula) I had that student hold out her hands, and I put the baby in them so I was free to change the bedding and zero the bed scale. The look in her eyes as she felt this tiny baby wiggling around in her hands - it was priceless! When she had to leave shortly afterwards, she thanked me and I swear she had tears in her eyes she was so happy!

Have fun!!!!!!!

fotografe · Mar 5, 2006

Thanks GOmpers.

I will definitley volunteer to be a set of hands. I have in my mind that I want to do adult ICU, probably cardiac, but since this is my first year in school, I am still window shopping. I had a tour earlier this semester and was really impressed with the whole staff there. I wanted to find out some definite no-nos for NICU so I don't do something stupid (like touching something blue in the OR)

I'll let you know how it turns out!

Kathi

Well I'm not sure how other hospitals handle nursing students in their NICUs, but my hospital (and also the one where I observed a NICU when in school) only allows observation for students. This means that you probably won't be touching anything and definitely won't be charting or taking pateint care responsibilities. You will probably be assigned to a nurse who is caring for a "typical" NICU patient or two. If there is nurse-to-nurse report, just listen in and ask questions later - and you will have questions! Follow your nurse around and get a feel for what his/her typical shift is like. NICU nursing is very unique and our routines are pretty interesting. Feel free to ask a lot of questions, and if something exciting seems to be happening elsewhere in the unit, ask your nurse if the two of you have time to go check it out.
Whenever I've had students with me, I've tried to do everything "out loud" so they know what I'm doing and thinking, and so they feel more a part of things since they're really just observing and that can get boring. I've explained things as I go along so most of their questions are answered. I've never had a student do my work for me - not even vital signs - because you really do need special training to do that kind of thing with sick neonates. The only times I've had students actually doing hands-on stuff is if they're assisting me. I've had them hold a baby steady while I've done IVs or lab draws, or had them help with weighs or linen changes.
I'll never forget the time I had four students milling around me because I was apparently more friendly than the nurses they'd been assigned to! One of them was very vocal about wanting to do NICU as a career, and I remembered how excited I was the day I did my NICU observation in school. When it came time to weigh the baby (she was 800 grams and on a nasal cannula) I had that student hold out her hands, and I put the baby in them so I was free to change the bedding and zero the bed scale. The look in her eyes as she felt this tiny baby wiggling around in her hands - it was priceless! When she had to leave shortly afterwards, she thanked me and I swear she had tears in her eyes she was so happy!
Have fun!!!!!!!

Gompers, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2006

I will definitley volunteer to be a set of hands. I have in my mind that I want to do adult ICU, probably cardiac, but since this is my first year in school, I am still window shopping. I had a tour earlier this semester and was really impressed with the whole staff there. I wanted to find out some definite no-nos for NICU so I don't do something stupid (like touching something blue in the OR)

Ah ha...let me see what I can do...

Well, definitely don't touch anything before you do a 2-minute scrub up to your elbows - find out if this is the unit's policy, of course. Most units have you do something like that before entry.

You have to wash your hands constantly in the NICU. Anytime you touch anything at one baby's bedside - whether it's the baby, the monitor, the bed, anything - you have to wash your hands before touching another baby's bedside or anything communal like a med cart, etc. Basially, you wash your hands all the time!

Be aware of your surroundings. There are a lot of machines and cords in the NICU and you don't want to bump into anything.

If you see something that upsets you, try and talk it out with the nurse you're working with. And like in the OR, if you feel faint, SIT DOWN!!! We once had a med student - one who planned on going into Peds surgery - pass out on the unit after watching a pretty simple procedure. We never saw him again, LOL!

Don't try and help out by throwing away a diaper unless specifically told to do so. Much of the time, we have to weigh them first and (gross, but true) inspect the stool carefully.

Keep your voice down, even if some of the staff seem to be loud. We try to keep things down a bit for the babies' sake.

Don't bring any food or drinks into the unit, only the break room.

We also do a lot of sterile procedures - beware of the blue draped babies and procedure trays!

Ask lots of questions!!!