any tips for a new grad RN going into the NICU?

TexasPediRN · Nov 12, 2005

Congrats on your job in the NICU!

I too did a rotation in the NICU and loved it. I bought a book that really helped me:

Handbok of Neonatal Intensive Care by Gerald B Merenstein and Sandra L Gardner.

The ISBN number is:0-323-01471-2

Its around 56 dollars, but I really liked it and found that it helped. Everything I had learned in the NICU from what to bring to a delivery was in there.

You can try looking for it on amazon or on half.com, they both have it listed.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0323014712/102-0170140-5057741?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance

Tips I dont have, because as much as I love NICU, havent worked in it yet :) Perhaps January..or June..

Just ask tons of questions. Thats all I can say. If you dont know something, ask.

Good luck!!

KatrinaPM · Nov 22, 2005

Tips, Ah, yes, I have tips. Many tips. I just had my last day of orientation, (5 months long). And it's been a good but very up and down process.

1. Find a few people you can trust. I happen to have an amazing unit educator, and actually I have found that I have many quesitons that some nurses I'm working with can't even answer! But the educator is AWESOME and has a good sense of what my expectations as a new grad really were....

2. Never be afraid to ask questions. Start worrying when you stop having questions.

3. Double and Triple check.

4. Forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. If you have a bad day or things aren't going well, make sure that you take a deep breath and trust that you will learn from that mistake.

5. Have realistic expectations of yourself. Remember, NICU is really specialized...it's also a relatively new discipline as far a the history of medicine goes. There are a lot of different ways different docs choose to do things and the rapid changes in this area can get very confusing. Just do your best. That's all anyone can ask for.

6. If things aren't going well with your preceptor, see if there is a way that y ou can hook up with someone who has a personality that jives with yours. It helps a lot!

You're going to be great! You and are both lucky to have landed really amazing positions in the area we love to work in!

mommy2BCD · Nov 22, 2005

Hi everyone,
this is my first posting...i found this site through a friend and found it to be very helpful...as stated in the title I am a new grad RN going into the NICU..i just graduated from nursing school this past August...i am super excited to be accepted into the NICU as a new grad...i did my last semester rotation in the NICU and I loved it, so I new I wanted to go into the NICU right away...I was just wondering if you guys had any tips for a new grad RN going into the NICU? any books or materials/tools that would help me during the first couple months/years? any suggestions would be helpful...thanks

congrats on the job! where did u find a job in the nicu for a new grad? it seems like every hospital website i go to they are very strict in saying they will not accept new grads with no nicu experience. this scares me a bit because i know i would love to go straight into the nicu after nursing school (granted i still have a lil while left). so why do some accept new grads and others will absolutely not? i would HATE starting in med/surg...i repeat HATE! haha ....:rotfl: let me know what u did and where!

rncarolyn · Nov 24, 2005

i live in lv, nv so a couple hospitals here accept new grads into their nicu =) hopefully you'll be able to find a hospital that accepts new grads into nicu's too...i too did not want to start in med-surg