NICU....

[Kendall]

Do any of ya'll work in the neonatal ICU or have worked here? What is it like to work there? What are some of the things that you do in a typical day? If you could please tell me anything about this area, it sounds very interesting.
thanks
Kendall

[cassioo]

I work L&D but work closely with NICU. Our NICU nurses go to all preterm deliveries (our hospital nursery and NICU nurses rotate between regular nursery and NICU) or ones they know will have complications. Then the nurses take care of the NICU babies like an ICU nurse would take care of an adult. The sickest babies get tube feedings or IV feedings plus meds, vents etc. They start the IV's unless it's an umbilical cath. They also do lots of teaching to parents cause those babies are going to be there a long time. They also go on transports if needed. We don't transport too many only if it's a heart surgery otherwise they get transports in from other hospitals or go pick up from other hospitals. Got to have wonderful charting anytime you work with babies/kids/deliveries those charts are good for 21 years minimum.