Transition from Med/Surg to Neonatal

[TigerGalLE, BSN, RN]

I'm interested in changing jobs. I've worked on a renal and respiratory floor with the elderly for approx 1.5 years. I have a friend on the floor and we both want to work in the special care nursery. All the real sick babies are transferred to a near by huge NICU. But they do get some sick babies here. It would be completely different from what I do know. That makes me nervous. But I've always kind of wanted to work with babies. I'm just wondering if anyone has made a transition like this and how was it?

Tiger

[littleneoRN]

I never worked with adults as I started directly in a Special Care Nursery as a new graduate. However, we have recently had a few nurses with a few years of adult med/surg experience start on our floor, and it has seemed like the transition was pretty smooth. Their orientation was almost as long as our new graduate RNs since it was a new specialty for them. I think one of the most important things in this transition is to know that you are an experienced RN who can bring valuable skills and confidence to your new position, but that you are also transitioning to a whole different population with completely different physiology and health problems. If you come in open to learn and make sure that the unit provides you adequate orientation, I'm sure it will go very well for you. If you want more responses, I would recommend posting your question in the NICU forum under Critical Care Nursing. I know you said the unit you are considering is not an NICU, but there are nurses on that forum from Level II nurseries also. Good luck!