3 Professional Situations To Consider Before Choosing A Neonatal Career
If you are a nurse who is considering a transfer into a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, there are a few things you may want to consider before making your decision. While many nurses love working with babies, the NICU has a very different atmosphere than the normal newborn nursery at the hospital. Here are three professional situations to consider prior to making the move from taking care of healthy full-term newborns to preemies and critically ill babies:
Emotions Run High
The babies in the NICU are often very sick because they are born prematurely and with major medical conditions. It is for this reason that emotions often run high in the neonatal intensive care unit. Parents sometimes get bad news from the doctors, which understandably lead to despair, and it is often up to the nurses to console the family.
While bad news is no stranger to the NICU, good news is common as well. Test results can improve, heart and lung function can get better, and infections can resolve. There are many highs and lows in the hospital NICU, which for some nurses, can be extremely stressful. Before asking management for a transfer into the neonatal intensive care unit, make sure that you are comfortable working in situations that can change minute-by-minute.
Phototherapy
Premature babies are sometimes jaundiced, or have yellow-tinged skin. This is the result of the build-up of bilirubin, a pigmented substance secreted by the liver. One of the most effective treatments for neonatal jaundice is phototherapy, which uses special lights that help break down the bilirubin.
Taking care of babies undergoing phototherapy treatments means that you will need to cover the baby's eyes with special eye patches to make sure that they don't look directly at the bright lights. You will also be exposed to the phototherapy equipment, so if you are sensitive to bright fluorescent lights, you may not be able to tolerate the environment.
Patient Attachment
The babies who are admitted into the NICU are often there for long periods of time. Long hospitalizations sometimes lead to strong bonds between the patient, family, and nurse.. It can be emotionally difficult on the nurse when the baby gets discharged from the hospital, after being in the unit for many weeks or months.
While it can be sad to say goodbye to the baby that you have cared for, it is rewarding at the same time to know that you contributed to the great progress the patient has made. Also, parents often return to the NICU after leaving the hospital to visit the staff to proudly show off their thriving babies.
If you are considering a neonatal career, speak with your nursing supervisor or the charge nurse in an NICU, such as Kidz Medical Services. It is only when you have ample knowledge of the NICU working environment that you will be able to make the best decision.
