I’m sure you’re wondering how neonatal nursing differs from other nursing fields. There are certain similarities across all registered nurse occupations, such as the need to distribute medication, record critical information, and respond to inquiries, but there are also certain differences that should be noted.
A registered nurse in the NICU will almost certainly work in a hospital setting where patient safety is of highest priority. Higher-risk patients usually require more care; this results in a decreased nurse to patient ratio. Having said that, a neonatal nurse working at a mother and baby center that does not support high-risk pregnancies can likely anticipate dealing with a greater number of patients each shift.
The actual size of your patients is another significant distinction from other forms of nursing; prescriptions must be precisely measured and scaled down in order to be given safely. Since many NICU patients are extremely young, feeding them and making sure they meet developmental milestones are top priorities. Additionally, to help with the transfer from the birth room to the NICU, you should anticipate collaborating closely with labor and delivery staff.
Managing the emotions that come with caring for a preterm baby can be one of the most difficult elements of working in a NICU. The highs of witnessing this almost impossibly tiny kid overcome the odds are often juxtaposed with the lows experienced by a family who realizes their baby may not survive to return home.
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