Is being a new grad in the NICU hard?
Yes. 100%. Without a doubt. Being a new grad registered nurse in general is very difficult. Now add the NICU on top of that and you’ve got yourself one challenging yet INCREDIBLY rewarding career.
You may find yourself asking, “Did I take on more than I can handle?”
You work your booty off in nursing school studying for exams, prepping for skills labs, putting your social life on hold, and completing hundreds if not thousands of clinical hours (probably with nurses who didn’t want you there). Then came the daunting job search and application process where you felt like you would never get hired. Fast forward to now and BOOM you’re a brand spanking new nurse in a completely foreign environment and you feel like you know absolutely nothing.
I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. The best advice I can offer you is to trust the process and to have faith in yourself. There is a lot that you don’t know and you will never learn everything that there possibly is to know. It’s going to take some time. You will not catch on and become an expert right out of the gate.
Ask a TON of questions. Even if it feels like it’s something that you “should know.” Never assume anything because that is when mistakes happen and patient safety gets compromised.
Lastly, STAY POSITIVE!!! There will be good days and bad. Some shifts are more difficult than others. Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves and forget about the huge impact we’re making in the lives of our patients. It’s easy to feel intimidated by other nurses. I can’t tell you how many times a coworker has been rude to me. Don’t take criticism personally. Learn from it. You DESERVE to be where you are, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Remember how far you’ve come in your nursing journey. You earned that right to wear “RN” on your badge!