I love working in the NICU, it's been my dream since before starting Nursing School. The premature/sick babies are so dependent on the doctors/nurses/respiratory therapists/developmental therapists to take care of them, and they are so precious!! And working with the families of these babies can be very rewarding (and challenging). One of the websites that made me start thinking about this career was http://www.allnurses.com/... which is where I found this great post about being a NICU Nurse:
You know you're a NICU nurse when...
1. You've eaten hamburger patties bigger than most of your patients.
2. You define colors by the color of stool you've seen - ex. baby poop green/yellow.
3. You don't understand why talking about sticking a needle in a baby's head is making other people at the dinner table ill.
4. At one time or another you've had breast milk, poop, or urine on your work clothes.
5. You have affectionately called a patient Cletus the fetus, wimpy white boy, troll, or FLK (funnylooking kid) in report.
6. You can change your patient's bed linens with one hand while holding your patient in the other.
7. You can make an IV arm board out of some 4x4 gauze and tape.
8. You've almost caught your hair on fire on your patient's radiant warmer bed.
9. You've used a sock or a piece of tape for a restraint.
10. You check out the scalp veins, cap refill, and fontanels on a friend's new baby.
11. You use a cotton ball to obtain urine samples.
12. You use Saran Wrap to keep your food fresh and your patients warm.
13. You think all crying babies need Benadryl, Versed, or intubation.
14. You think the pulse oximeter, CPAP, and those crappy no sticking leads were created by the devil.
15. You have ever shown a doctor a green residual while they were eating.
16. You have obtained a 10cc residual when the patient only gets 1cc.
17. You have put an intensive care patient in a swing.
18. You don't get excited if your patient has a heartrate of 180.
19. You do chest compressions with two fingers.
20. Most of your meds come in TB or 1cc syringes.
21. You prepare your patient's bath water in a Dixiecup.
22. You draw blood from your patient's heel.
23. You use a rubber band for a tourniquet.
24. You've seen two complexes on the EKG screen and not been excited - you merely pat your patient on the butt and it's all good.
25. Newborn babies look like preschoolers to you.
26. You tell people what you do and they think you sit around and rock babies all day.
27. When you tell people what you REALLY do they start to cry and/or vomit.
28. You have assisted with surgery on your patient in their bed and on the unit.
29. You have considered using duct tape to hold a pacifier in a screaming baby's mouth.
30. You have met your patient's father, mother's boyfriend, and mother's husband all in one day.
31. You have made a mental note that no matter how stupid people are, they still know how to get their groove on.
32. And lastly, you know you're a NICU nurse if you've read 1-31 and have laughed your fanny off! 
11 comments:
I'm glad you like your job. I can't see me writing a blog about how much I love my job ;)
P.S. Are you trying to say that you actually do work and you aren't just an overpaid babysitter? :P
Come on, I'm a NICU RT and I laughed at these. My blog is http://rt-blog.om.
I'm a final semester nursing student hoping to work in the NICU after graduation. I just completed my preceptorship in the NICU and laughed so hard at this!
Thanks so much for sharing!
I'm twelve years old,and my nephew was born 10 weeks early, and my cousin was born at 26 weeks. when my nephew was born, I was allowed in the NICU and was amazed by the people who worked there. Even at my age, I had been praying about my career, and before long, i knew I was called to be a NICU nurse. So thanks for your blog, it's really cool!
I am just starting my nursing program and I have such a passion and desire to be in the NICU as nurse as soon as I possibly can be, which right now feels like for stinking ever! I love your posts.
AHH I Have always wanted this job and to have twins. I AM SO JEALOUS of your life.
Nice blog post. Thanks for sharing your information.
pediatric laparoscopic surgeon
pediatric neonatal surgeon
I don't understand number 30or whichever one is about meeting mother's boyfriend and mother's husband?
Anonymous...Every NICU every so often will have a mom who is married, but isn't with her husband exclusively and also has a current boyfriend but the baby that they had is not the baby of the husband or the boyfriend. He is from a previous relationship, friend, or one night stand.
Nice blog post.Thanks for sharing... Niceneotech
Enjoyed reading this...too funny!!!
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