So there were some advantages to the NICU that I anticipated prior to taking the job. However, the best parts of neo nursing are things that I couldn't have imagined beforehand. Here are the things that still amaze me and keep me content in my fourth year as a neonatal intensive care nurse.
- The variety involved in this job keeps it interesting. One day I'm taking care of two critical patients on ventilators and an assortment of medication drips. The next day I'm checking off nurses at an NRP renewal course for the nurses in our building. The day after that, I'm feeding three stable babies and helping their families master the basics of baby care.
- I love the fact that I don't have to keep track of six to eight patients like I might on some adult med-surg units. The ideal assignment for my ADHD mind: providing intensive and focused care for two critical patients and learning every detail about them. I often get just that in the NICU.
- While some are intimidated by the size of our NICU patients, I see it as an advantage. I never have to worry about a back injury from heavy lifting. Any mess can only get so big. And even if you could swaddle up a 150 kg patient and rock him, "cute" would not be the sentiment that generally came to mind.
- NICU experience opens up opportunities everywhere. It inspires confidence that you can handle any job assignment in any setting. Careful with this one, though. "You work with tiny preemies? Floating to psych will be a piece of cake then!" I'm not sure it works that way.
- Finally, babies are just amazing. There is just no other way to put it. If you insert a nasogastric tube in a baby and then drop one in an adult, you'll know what I mean. There's an adage that babies "crash so fast." I see just the opposite. I see extreme resilience, strength and survival... sometimes in spite of what we do for them.
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