Whats your NICU experience?

IamLissaLpn · Jan 9, 2014

Whatever field of nursing you choose to persue or work in should always be because it is your passion and never because of what you are avoiding.

Neonursej · Jan 9, 2014

I have worked in the nursery/NICU ever since I graduated from nursing school, 16 years ago. I have never worked in a level only III NICU, only outskirt hospitals. I have only witnessed one death and every time I tell someone that I am a baby nurse, they feel sorry for me,"how do you handle all of those deaths?" If you want to work with babies, like I did, work in a hospital that you do both well babies and level II.

adlomu120 · Jan 9, 2014

It was hard to not be offended by the comment "dirty older patients". If that is the view you take on any human being maybe a total career change is what you should look for.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Jan 9, 2014

Well babies can be just as dirty as older folk. But let's be real, little butt vs big butt makes it a lot easier. I'll validate the OP's feelings on that. Babies don't smell as bad either. No, that's not a whole reason for doing NICU but it's certainly a job perk.

maxvoca · Jan 9, 2014

Wow, those are some harrowing experiences. I'm aghast at the woman who was unfazed because she has "eight more". And then some people cannot even conceive one, so unfair.

judihh · Jan 15, 2014

I don't think you should be a nurse period, either to (dirty) older patients, or to (squeaky clean) babies. Your statements are off the wall and I would not want to meet you in any capacity at all.

lemur87 · Jan 15, 2014

Please do not become a NICU nurse. As one myself I cringe to think that I could ever come into contact with a coworker with your values and views.

The NICU environment is unique...it is horrible and amazing all at the same time. When I'm rocking a DNR baby as she takes her last breaths I do not want you working next to me so you can avoid "dirty people".

katierobin23 · Jan 16, 2014

Another thing that you will have to deal with as a NICU nurse: baby died over a week ago, parents refuse to pay for a funeral (but have had no trouble affording multiple drugs, which were used throughout the pregnancy), so the poor baby's body is still in the morgue. We now have to try to find somewhere that won't charge for a burial...if we are unsuccessful, the body gets offered to local universities for learning purposes. This is after we coded this baby for hours and hours...trying to bring him back after he got suddenly sick and went from breathing room air and taking everything by bottle to dead in less than 24 hours.

Someone who is thinking NICU is just a way to avoid the dirty old folks WILL NOT be able to handle that. I absolutely love what I do, and I'm struggling with it.

Please think long and hard before you decide to do this.

zanmilasante · Feb 23, 2014

I agree with everyone here. The NICU can be an extremely high stress environment, and you will not last if you don't have the passion for it.

aerorunner80, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN · Feb 25, 2014

The recent realities of NICU nursing in my world (details changed to protect privacy):
Admitting a term infant who coded for over an hour at an outside hospital, knowing that he will never be anywhere near neurologically normal. Watching the medical team tell the family it's not in the best interest of the child to continue with aggressive care. Watch parents decline, saying that a miracle will cure their baby, who has no gag or blink reflex, nor any voluntary movements. Watch him get a trach, a g-tube, grow progressively more contracted and develop multiple drug-resistant infections. Send him home to a future filled with nothing more than laying in a bed and waiting to die.
24-week twins, desperately wanted by the parents who go through multiple cycles of IVF without success and finally conceive on their last-ditch attempt paid for by a family member. Watch all involved suffer through a week of life before taking them outside for the first and only time to die together in mom's arms.
Mom's tenth kid, going through severe withdrawal due to multiple opiates and benzos taken throughout pregnancy. Watch mom and dad come in half-awake, walking into walls and falling asleep holding and feeding baby. Watch mom ask genuinely if baby can be put in the trunk for the drive home.
Please, please, please, don't go into the NICU if you're just doing it "because I don't have to work with dirty older patients". There are plenty of other units out there where you can make connections with long-term patients and families (inpatient oncology, BMT, infusion nursing?). If you have your heart set on babies, newborn nursery is a great place for real newborn interaction.
ETA: I love my job despite all the heartbreak, and we do have plenty of happy endings, but I feel like so many people go into nursing thinking "I want to be a NICU nurse and work with babies all day!!" and then get into a level 3 unit and get slapped hard in the face with the true realities of what we do all day.

I should print this out to hand to people who think that I just cuddle and play with babies all day. I have endured every situation you mention here and more. It is such an emotionally taxing job but I do love it. I wish more CRNA programs took NICU experience so I don't have to leave. There is a lot of sadness but also some amazing stories!

We had a baby recently who was cooled. Failed home birth. Baby was warmed up and we were all worried baby wouldn't nipple because of the reaction she was having to her OG tube. It wasn't normal. Baby was put on regular nasal cannula, OG out and baby was home a week later breastfeeding like a champ!

Unfortunately we won't know the full neuro outcome but for the short term it looked amazing!

NICU_Nurse_3986 · Feb 27, 2014

FYI, babies can be dirty too. MRSA, CMV, Herpies, etc... And some of them smell, bad! I have had multiple patients with ostomys or on high calorie formula that stink to high heaven dispite being just bathed. Also, getting to know the families is definitely not always a pleasure. More often than not it seem that there are major social issues with the families in the NICU, and sometimes it is so bad that you have to fight the urge not to say something unkind to the families or want to take the babies home with you because you know if you send them home with mom and dad that they will most likely die or be neglected. And the few families that are normal and sweet usually have the sickest kid with the worst outcomes and you find yourself wondering why they are enduring this when the druged out momma down the hall had a baby that is going to be fine and get to go home with her, even though they probably shouldn't. It is emotionally trying and exhausting, but I couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Satori77, ADN · Feb 27, 2014

The OP's post bothers me as well. I somewhat get what she is saying, because I don't have much interest in working with adults after nursing school. But "dirty old patients" is offensive. I have worked in several nursing homes, and they are human beings that deserve respect and dignity. You really should rephrase your comments (and your attitude).

But I do feel passionate about NICU nursing. I understand that once I go to nursing school, that could all change. But it is the reason I am going to nursing school. My mom is a nurse. Many of my friends are nurses. I have been surrounded by nurses most of my life, hearing the good and the bad. But still I never considered nursing until I gave birth to my daughter and she was in the NICU for weeks. The nurses I met were incredible. The passion, the knowledge, the compassion...I just felt that was where I needed to be. I know they are not in there rocking babies. I saw a baby the size of my palm code while I was in there (briefly, before we were asked to leave). And of course the issues I dealt with with my own daughter. I can't really explain it. But it's my driving force right now, even knowing I will most likely have to spend years in other units before ever making it into a NICU.