Top 5 Tips for New NICU Nurses

Hi there, Nurse Lauren here wishing all my fellow nurses a Happy National Nurses Week!

Here are my top 5 tips for the new NICU nurses out there!

1. Ask Questions! Don’t be too proud or afraid to ask a lot of questions and learn from the experienced nurses on the unit.
2. Assess Early and Often! Listen to your gut. A change in status for a preemie can happen quickly. It is your assessment that often dictates the course of action. We are at the bedside 24/7, so it is imperative to think and act quickly, safely, and efficiently.
3. Involve Parents! It’s easy to walk into a bedspot and do your job without encouraging parents to be involved. Learn what tasks parents can do to help take care of their baby so they feel like they are contributing.
4. Be a Team Player! Working in a NICU is not easy and you will have good shifts and bad shifts. You can’t do it all alone. Help your coworkers. The patients may be small, but they can kick your butt! Don’t be afraid to jump in. Those will be your best learning experiences.
5. Take Care of Yourself! There will be lots of happy NICU stories, but unfortunately you will experience the opposite as well. Don’t throw in the rag if you have a terrible shift or find yourself crying after the loss of a patient. It comes with the territory. Be proud of the good days and the bad ones too.

This is Nurse Lauren, contributor of NursesNOW, signing off with tips for all the new NICU nurses out there. Happy National Nurses Week!