Debra Said:

Future career hopes midwifery and neonatal nurse. help please!?

We Answered:

Don't go into nursing with any kind with romantic ideas about wanting "to help and inspire people". It can be very rewarding, but it is also a dog-eat-dog world and morale in the NHS is at rock bottom.

Saturday morning. I feel desperately sad reading Ginny's reply this morning. Everything she says is true. All the best nurses leave, and it's only the tea ladies and cleaners who ever give the patients any TLC. Trained staff are so bogged down with paper work and other nonsense, that we hardly ever had any patient contact. I worked in theatres, and it broke my heart every time I sent a patient back to a ward, knowing that they wouldn't see another nurse for several hours. What can be done about this?

Delores Said:

Neonatal Nurse?

We Answered:

I'm a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) nurse. I've been one since graduating nursing school. I love it and can't imagine doing anything else, but it's not for everyone. I understand they don't have shadowing at that hospital but maybe you can get a tour or intern there at the end of your nursing school (I assumed you were in training now, sorry if I was wrong). If that doesn't work, maybe you can find someone locally that is a NICU nurse and will take you under their wing and let you ask questions, etc.
Advantages: These RN's are in high demand so getting a job is not a problem and it is very rewarding!! Remember, they aren't all sad outcomes and people keep contact with you through the years with letters/pictures, etc.
Disadvantages: As with most nursing positions, it is very hard work and things can change in patient's conditions VERY quickly. There is some sadness and that is hard to take especially if you are dedicated and love what you do. But, in handling the hard situations, I always know that I make a difference and that I have touched lives and helped people through a very sad time in their lives.

Feel free to email me if I can help you at all. Good luck!

Salvador Said:

I want to work with infants but I do not know what career that might be? Is it a neonatal nurse?

We Answered:

I'm a Postpartum LPN, I work with newborns and their moms. You can do this as an LPN (typically about 12-18 months of training at a vocational school or community college)or as an RN (associates degree=about 2 years, bachelors degree=about 4 years at any community college or university).
You could also work in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)- typically you have to have your RN to work in NICU (they prefer if you have your RN/BSN at most hospitals now).

The pay as an RN is a lot higher than you would make as an LPN.

I love what I do, working with the new families is very rewarding! :)

Kenneth Said:

Help with some questions about my career in the future " Neonatal Nurse"?

We Answered:

1. Generally hospital hours are 12 hour shifts, day or night. The actual days you work can vary--most require 2 weekends per month as well. However, until you have some seniority you may have to work the day shift and the night shifts, without a choice. Even with seniority, when there are uncovered shifts, you have to pitch in & cover.
2.you wear a scrub type outfit. In my hospital it is provided so you change into it at work & out before you go home.
3. Fringe benefits? Usually the basic like health care. Many hospitals provide a tuition assistance program. What other perks were you thinking?
4. & %. Depends on when, where you work. In my hospital, entry is the same for any RN (there is no differential to the NICU). SO whatever is going rate in your area.

Joseph Said:

Can a neonatal nurse please tell me if in that job you get to hold the babies and feed them much?

We Answered:

Hon Im not a NICU nurse but my son spent a lot of time there.
While you may be attracted to these tiniest of little babies #1 FACT not all will make it, you WILL have to face the deaths of very little babies. You will also have to support families whos babies are really to young to be born hear that their child will die/ need surgery/have lifelong dissabilites. You will face this on a regular basis. It takes a lot of ???? (I wish I knew the word) to go to work each day knowing that one of your baby charges may have passed through the night.
Most NICU babies are only handled minmally by the staff as most will be in humidity cribs and need that warmth & ventilation. The aim is also to have the family make the most physical contact to increase & assist in mutual bonding so only proceedures that need medically trained staff are performed my nurses unless parents arent there , most NICU parents are there more than theyre anywhwere else as we dont know how long we will have our babies. There will be IV & feeding tubes & wire traces attached to just about every baby. Most feeds will be done by tube inserted into the nose down to their stomach so theres not lots of cuddles their either.
The nurses in our NICU work 3mth rotating shifts including: morning, afternoon & night usually 5 shifts on 3 off & what ever weekend fall in there are worked. Our nurses while NIC trained all studied pediatric nursing also & alternated between the two fields. It IS very mentally & emotionally draining, you WILL need to get out through out your career.
So please look nto it & consider your options but go in with your eyes open NICU nursing would have to be one of the most emotionally draining but hey the sucess stories are Miracles and few get greater rewards than those who know they helped one occur : )

Harold Said:

How can I find out if I want to be a neonatal nurse?

We Answered:

It's hard to say. Being a neonatal intensive care nurse is a hard job emotionally. You see babies struggling daily and sometimes even die. Physically you have to do IV's, feeding tubes, of course diapers changes, weigh babies, handle babies, and LOTS of other important things. At my hospital volunteers are not aloud in any levels of the NICU. It needs to be kept as germ free as possible - so strangers (other then parents/family) are not allowed.

It's nothing like being a normal nurse. These are no healthy huggable babies they are fragile and need intensive 24/7 care. Watch 19 Kids and Couting - They have a baby in the NICU and it shows a lot of what the job is like.