Will the NICU limit me in the future?

[ToughingItOut]

I'm currently in the process of preparing for graduation and applying for graduate nurse positions. I LOVE the NICU, but I'm slightly worried that starting out in a NICU may limit my career in the long run. What if, later in life, I am forced or choose to move out of the NICU. Will I be able to find a job in another area without adult or pedi nursing care experience?

I am mainly asking this question because I am frightened by the apparent lack of graduate nurse and even veteren nurse positions available in my area. If the economy continues to fall and jobs continue to become even scarcer, will I be able to move into another area if necessary if I start in the NICU? Should I consider starting in the PICU or adult ICU instead?

[fiveofpeep]

Im a student but thought NICU would be best because you have better assessment skills (since babies' cant tell you wants wrong) and you will be better and med math as well

so if you transition to adult, the content may be different, but you will be attuned to people's assessment findings and careful with your meds

[llg, PhD, RN]

Yes, NICU can be limiting. Many nurses find it very difficult to transition out of NICU and into working with older patients after spending more than a couple of years in a NICU. The world of adults and older kids moves forward while they are "off to the side" in a NICU environment -- and many people feel increasingly less comfortable dealing with older patients as they spend more and more time focused on only neonates. The diseases, the treatments, etc. are simply different.

For some people -- particularly those, like me, who don't get a lot of direct hands-on experience in school -- the thought of working with non-neonates gets scary after a while. However, other people seem not to mind so much. They have enough confidence in the med/surg skills they acquired in school to return to that environment even after having spent several years away from an adult population.

A lot depends on the individual. How solid are your med/surg and general peds skill now? How comfortable will you be working in one of those areas if you don't set foot on such a floor for the next 5 years?

[ToughingItOut]

Thank you for your advice. No, I wouldn't feel very secure in my medsurg skills after only a year or two in NICU. I'm tempted to try to look for a position in PICU or adult ICU to establish a broader range of skills, but I know that the transition to NICU can also be challenging. I really do love the NICU...

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

There's no way I'd feel comfortable out of NICU.. but I really have no interest in doing anything but neo if I'm going to be a nurse. I went into neo knowing that I'd have a heck of a time if I ever left but should I leave the bedside, there are plenty of opportunites neo-related in education, research, mgt, etc.

[ToughingItOut]

Really, opportunities in research and education? That's great! I'm interested in both. What kinds of opportunities NeoNurseTx?

By the way, I'm in Texas! Do you know of any good places to get my foot in the door? There appears to be a hiring freeze...especially for new grads.

Thanks!

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

There's clinical educators on our floor that run the new grad program and also the training of nurses transferring here... also do inservices and staff education. We have researchers in and out gathering data, too..I'm not sure how to get into research, though. I'm going to PM you.

[ToughingItOut]

Thank you NeoNurseTx! I received your PM, however, I apparently "do not have permission to send personal messages." I tried briefly to figure out how to gain permission, but no luck yet. Your advice is very helpful. I have much to say...I just need "permission" to say it.

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

It's probably because you don't have enough posts.. it should let you email me though..

[PrudenceNurse]

I've been a NICU nurse for all of my 26 years. Yes, it would be "limiting" if I ever wanted to do something else. Which I don't. I do have my MSN, and have started doing some teaching and clinicals in a nursing school. It was a bit of a stretch to do Peds but the basics are still the basics. And I still love working with the babies. They will have to let me prop my walker up against the radiant warmers.... :)

[babyNP., APRN]

Keep in mind that you can always learn a different population later as well! The job market is not always going to be this way and especially if you have any experience as a nurse, it shouldn't be too much trouble to switch later on.

Personally I feel very blessed that I figured out exactly where I belong in nursing and the opportunity to do it! If that ever changed, I'm not too worried about finding a new specialty. Learning never stops.

Good luck in whatever you end up in!

[cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP]

I'm a student too but I noticed no one seemed to mention this option. If you love the NICU then go for it but maybe you could do a little per diem work picking up shifts as a peds. nurse (maybe in a med/surg or ICU type setting) just to keep your skills in those areas sharp and if for some reason you ever want to transition out of the NICU you have other peds. experience you can fall back on. It doesn't have to be peds if you don't want to (you could go with adults) but the peds. helps serve as a general foundation and avoids you from becoming to over specialized in the NICU. You could look into a per diem position at another hospital or try picking up a little over time in the facility you work in the PICU at (try to request to go to another floor of peds.) One of the nurses I've met works in the adult NICU (Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit) and picks up overtime shifts at least once a week on the Med/Surg. floors whenever possible to make sure she doesn't become too over-specialized. Its a nice way to shake things up a bit and keep your skills sharp. Good luck!

!Chris