uh-oh, do I have the right personality for NICU??

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Specializes in NICU & OB/GYN.

Hello lovely NICU nurses!

I have been accepted to do my final practicum at our Children's hospital level 3 NICU and when I shared my good news with my mother n' law she asked..."are you sure you have the right personality for that unit??" You see, she worked as a social worker for 30 plus years at this hospital and is familiar with the unit. Her impression was that you need to be a "very anal, type-A personality" to work here, to which I am not. She also said to me..."I always pictured you in emerg" and even though it's a little too late now, I had conteplated Children's emerg as well. In the end I chose NICU b/c of my curiousity for intensive care and I am really looking foward to that focused one-on-one patient learning.

So...now I am nervous. I know she means well but I am wondering maybe I don't have the right personality??

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We have all different personalities in the NICU. Some very serious particular nurses and some gentle happy go-lucky type (me).

You will love the NICU. You will fall in-love with the babies and enjoy your day in a different way you would in ER. I believe the type of nurse you are molds your personality. An ER nurse has a different personality then a baby nurse. There is less attachment in the ER as you only usually see your pts for hours and in the NICU pts can be there for days or weeks and even months. You dont cuddle your ER pts but you get to cuddle your pts in the NICU!

You will find what you are looking for and if you arent happy...you can change depts...the beauty of nursing!

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Specializes in NICU & OB/GYN.
We have all different personalities in the NICU. Some very serious particular nurses and some gentle happy go-lucky type (me).

You will love the NICU. You will fall in-love with the babies and enjoy your day in a different way you would in ER. I believe the type of nurse you are molds your personality. An ER nurse has a different personality then a baby nurse. There is less attachment in the ER as you only usually see your pts for hours and in the NICU pts can be there for days or weeks and even months. You dont cuddle your ER pts but you get to cuddle your pts in the NICU!

You will find what you are looking for and if you arent happy...you can change depts...the beauty of nursing!

Thank-you for the reassurance! I know what you mean. During school I have worked as a nursing assistant (health care aide) in our community hospital emergency department and got a glimpse of a day in the life of the ER nurse and though at first the quick-paced environment and the variety appealed to me by my 4th year, I already was recognizing that as a nurse, I would be unhappy with the lack of available time you spend with your patients. I guess I too am a happy-go-lucky type (that's a good way to put it..I was trying to think of a good description earlier), so I am glad that perhaps my MIL wasn't completely right.

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This is generalizing... but I feel like a lot of NICUs have too many nurses with type A anal personalities. It's refreshing to work with more relaxed, go with the flow type nurses :D. I'm anal in my personal life, but not at work...

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

I'd say the majority of us are the Type A ones lol We are pretty particular about keeping the beds clean, etc, you have to be particular about labeling things, being uber organized with the sickest kids. Guess sometimes you have to be that type because these little ones can't speak for themselves.

Get in there and give it a whirl!

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Specializes in NICU & OB/GYN.
I'd say the majority of us are the Type A ones lol We are pretty particular about keeping the beds clean, etc, you have to be particular about labeling things, being uber organized with the sickest kids. Guess sometimes you have to be that type because these little ones can't speak for themselves.

Get in there and give it a whirl!

Thanks for your reply! You're right...I just gotta get in there and give it a whirl, no looking back now! I know that I am capable of demonstrating some of these traits given the right moment. Years ago, when I worked for a major airline and the 'you know what' hit the fan, a little type A came out in me in order to manage an organized chaos. Been awhile though, so hoping in time...that'll come out if needed.

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Specializes in MSN, FNP-BC.

You will never know until you get there. It takes all different personalities to to make any unit work well.

I am a type A personality but I'm not a constant in-your-face-waiting-for-the-next-crisis type.

I'm very calm but at the same time I'm also ready if something happens. It's not worth getting yourself all worked up every time you come into work. One can't live under stress like that. It's not needed and it's healthy. You have to realize what area you are in and be extra careful in your assessment.

I think what it takes is someone who is not afraid to speak up for themselves and their patients no matter what kind of attitude comes at them. You have to keep in mind that at the end of the day, it's not about if you and so-and-so had a run in with each other, it's about if the right thing was done for your patient. If people get upset along the way, it happens. I have made it a point that even if someone is yelling, I will not yell back and I will stay professional. If you stay calm, that will get their attention a lot quicker than if you are yelling back at them.

Staying calm also makes it easier to think on your feet and if something is going on and everyone calmly talks to each other, that is when some pretty awesome teamwork gets done as well.

It also takes someone who is quick to think on their feet in a crisis. ----- To me this probably the most important thing to remember.

Kiddos are in the NICU for a reason and they can go bad at any moment.

It may seem like an insurmountable idea when you first get there. It did to me. But after being there a while (the time is different for everyone) you start to get to know the order sets and can anticipate what the docs are going to order and if they don't say it very soon you can "suggest" it to them. That happens a lot with our residents.

For example, when we get admissions, the fluids normally ordered are D10 with 4.5% AA (amino acids) if we are not going to be feeding right away. This is special order from the pharmacy and I will ask, most of the time before the baby even gets to the floor, if this is what they are going to order and then I go tell pharmacy that we are having a baby come up who is going to need it so that they can get working on it and our fluids come up sonner. Same thing with abx.

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Specializes in NICU & OB/GYN.
You will never know until you get there. It takes all different personalities to to make any unit work well.

I am a type A personality but I'm not a constant in-your-face-waiting-for-the-next-crisis type.

I'm very calm but at the same time I'm also ready if something happens. It's not worth getting yourself all worked up every time you come into work. One can't live under stress like that. It's not needed and it's healthy. You have to realize what area you are in and be extra careful in your assessment.

I think what it takes is someone who is not afraid to speak up for themselves and their patients no matter what kind of attitude comes at them. You have to keep in mind that at the end of the day, it's not about if you and so-and-so had a run in with each other, it's about if the right thing was done for your patient. If people get upset along the way, it happens. I have made it a point that even if someone is yelling, I will not yell back and I will stay professional. If you stay calm, that will get their attention a lot quicker than if you are yelling back at them.

Staying calm also makes it easier to think on your feet and if something is going on and everyone calmly talks to each other, that is when some pretty awesome teamwork gets done as well.

It also takes someone who is quick to think on their feet in a crisis. ----- To me this probably the most important thing to remember.

Kiddos are in the NICU for a reason and they can go bad at any moment.

It may seem like an insurmountable idea when you first get there. It did to me. But after being there a while (the time is different for everyone) you start to get to know the order sets and can anticipate what the docs are going to order and if they don't say it very soon you can "suggest" it to them. That happens a lot with our residents.

For example, when we get admissions, the fluids normally ordered are D10 with 4.5% AA (amino acids) if we are not going to be feeding right away. This is special order from the pharmacy and I will ask, most of the time before the baby even gets to the floor, if this is what they are going to order and then I go tell pharmacy that we are having a baby come up who is going to need it so that they can get working on it and our fluids come up sonner. Same thing with abx.

Thanks for your reply! When my practicum advisor asked why I wanted the NICU, I told her that I wanna be kept on my toes and I wanna deal with "actual sick patients". lol. You see, I found in school, we were always assigned the most stable patients on the unit (understandably so) and so I found that I didn't get to apply alot of the theory we learned. Luckily, at 31 this will not be my first career.. I have the emergency response training and lots of experience dealing with stress (situations and people), so as I told my advisor, I am hoping this will help me survive NICU (as she says she is always hesitant about placing students in specialty areas for practicum). But what you mentioned is what I loved about both my med/surg pediatric rotations...so resilient, yet can turn on a drop of a dime. I found I learned the most during these rotations!

Oh and being able to use my big mouth for some good is also something I am looking forward to!! I have heard this about the NICU and that is an attraction for me as I found during school, standing up for my patients often labelled me a "troublemaker" and I quickly learned that even though we are taught to advocate...on many units it's more of a 'keep quiet and do what you're told' atmosphere.

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

I am NOT type A and I'd rather NOT move around an unstable baby just to change the sheets.

I'm clean but I'm by no means anal.

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Specializes in NICU.

I've done ER and I LOVED IT. I also LOVE the NICU. I think you'll be just fine!

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Specializes in NICU & OB/GYN.
I've done ER and I LOVED IT. I also LOVE the NICU. I think you'll be just fine!

Thanks for your reply! Interestingly, I have followed many threads on here where many have dabbled in both ER and ICU. Originally I was told that you are meant to be one or the other based on personality but it's reasurring to learn that isn't necessarily the case. I have always thought that I had strengths that could work well in either area, I guess I will find out soon enough..:D

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Specializes in MSN, FNP-BC.
I am NOT type A and I'd rather NOT move around an unstable baby just to change the sheets.

I'm clean but I'm by no means anal.

Agreed!!!!!!!!!! If they are that sick, I'm not going to do that either!

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