Job Responsibilities
I am a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse.
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Job Requirements
Requires an Registered Nurse license to be hired, specific neonaltal
intensive care classes are then required. In my area, Loma
Linda University is the site of choice for classes.
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Uppers
Saving babies' lives.
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Downers
Losing a baby's life.
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Lifestyle
12 hr. shifts. Always have to start with the night shift, which is better for
training.
You can't take work home with you, easier said than done. Make sure there is
some kind of "debriefing" program available. We do not have one...so...we more
or less do this ourselves, mostly discuss the situation, to be able to verbalize
your feelings related to the situation.
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Compensation
Base depends on years of experience as "a nurse". I have been a
nurse for many years....my pay is $30.00/hr. A $2.00/hr
differential from 3:pm to 11:pm then increases to $5.00/hr from
11:pm to 7:am. After you take the basic neonatal intensive care
course you then have an additional differential of $2.00/hr.
For this hospital there will be some increases going into affect
soon. Benifits are ok. This is a county hospital, so pay and
benefits can be better at non-county facilities.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Never think you can't do it! I have done a lot of different
areas in Nursing and this one is the best. I will never change
specialty areas again. We are in a "Nursing Shortage"... you
have it made, you do not need experience to get into specialty
fields anymore, if you can't get hired at one hospital because
of experience, then just go on to the next. The older us "Baby
Boomers" get, the more we need you younger Nurses. If you try a
specialty and don't like it......then try something else! The
only thing that will happen trying something new and not liking
it......will be that you would now have a little more
experience..even if you didn't like it you would get something
out of it...and that will be with you for all future
adventures. Good luck!
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