Are you considering becoming an NICU Nurse but unsure exactly what it entails? Let’s dive in to figure out if NICU nursing is right for you!
What is NICU Nursing?
NICU stands for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. These nurses work in the hospital as inpatient nurses. Neonatal ICU nurses care specifically for neonatal infants right after labor and delivery that require extra care before they can be sent home. For example, if a baby is born early enough that their lungs still haven’t fully developed, then they will be sent to the NICU until their lungs are strong enough to be discharged.
Patient Load
As a NICU nurse in California, you are going to be caring for no more than two babies at a time. Translating to a 1 to 2 nurse patient ratio. However, if a baby requires more critical care, you may only be assigned one baby at a time.
NICU Nurse Job Description
For each of your patients, you are responsible for performing a neonatal head-to-toe assessment, which will look slightly different than an adult assessment. You will be responsible for keeping babies airways open and providing scheduled feeds. Vital signs additionally need to be continuously monitored for the tiniest of patients and medications are to be given as ordered.
NICU Nurse Skills
NICU nurses need skills very similar to Peds or a PICU nurse, as their patients height and weight are also going to significantly impact care. Not only do Neonatal ICU nurses work with the tiniest of diapers and blood pressure cuffs, but they also work with the smallest of veins so their IV skills need to be on point. Medications need to be calculated precisely so as not to overdose the most fragile patients. In addition to medical care, Neonatal ICU nurses also need to provide comfort care, meaning snuggles and cuddles to help relax the babies. NICU nurses are typically in contact with the parents and will be answering questions and providing reassurance not to their patient, but to the family.
NICU Nurse Salary
Neonatal ICU Nurses pay varies by state, location, and hospital. According to ZipRecruiter, NICU Nurses in California on average make about $57.38 per hour, equating to $119,353 per year. Nationally, peds nurses make about $110,764 per year.
So, What Makes a Good NICU Nurse?
A good neonatal ICU nurse is someone who is gentle and caring. They love babies and are comfortable communicating with worried parents. NICU nurses love their snuggles and their tiny tools, but they also know what to do when a problem arises. They are trained in CPR and running codes on the tiniest of patients and remain calm and confident in the most stressful of situations. Neonatal ICU nurses are skilled at calculating medication doses specific to each of their patients and always double check their med math as to prevent any errors.
Do you want to be a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse? Comment below!
Trying to get a job? Check out these helpful posts!
- How to Answer the Famous “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question
- Questions You Need to Ask Post-Interview
- And the entire Landing Your Dream Job Series
Looking into other nursing specialties? Follow along on the Specialty Nursing Series and the Specialty Nurse Interview Series!
- What Makes a Good Med Surg Nurse?
- What Makes a Good Peds Nurse?
- What Makes a Good ICU Nurse?
- What Makes a Good ED Nurse?
- What Makes a Good OR Nurse?
- What Makes a Good Labor and Delivery Nurse?
- What Makes a Good Psych Nurse?
- What Makes a Good PICU Nurse?
- What Makes a Good Onc Nurse?
- What Makes a Good School Nurse?
- What Makes a Good Home Health Nurse?