Hey! Can anyone give me some information about Pediatric Oncology Nursing or Neonatal Nursing?

Hi Angelina! I've been working in the NICU for the past 30 years and I love the specialty! To answer your questions: 1. The hardest part: In my opinion, the hardest part of being an NICU nurse is the unpredictability of it- But it can also make it very fun---- The NICU is like an emergency room as well as an ICU. When patients enter the hospital they often come into the Emergency Department and are treated -- then released or admitted. When a baby is born who needs NICU care, they come straight to the NICU and stay. So--- we must be ready for any type of admission at any time.

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   Would I go into another field if I could start over? No. I can't imagine being a nurse in another field. But I have met several nurses who worked in adult nursing and decided to become NICU nurses and they did very well. I really love the specialty of NICU-- but I also love that nursing allows for so many different areas of interest and nurses can change and learn to do different things-- It is so flexible and there are so many options!

   
   


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   What the hardest part of getting to where you are now? People must continue to learn. You really can't remain stagnant in your nursing program or education in any specialty because if you are providing evidence based medicine then you are probably changing processes. I think the hardest part is staying vigilant to learn more as things continue to evolve in nursing care.

   
   


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   Course load, clinicals, etc. I believe that nurses need to learn so many basics but that much of the work that is learned is from following a good nurse to learn practical ways of apply the nursing fundamentals. It is important that you learn best practice and don't cut corners for time sake. Learn from people that care about the OUTCOME of their patient and you will learn the RIGHT way to do things. There are lots of time restraints placed on nurses and it can be overwhelming at times- But focus on the outcome of the patient and you will always remember to take the time to wash your hands, use good skin antisepsis, teach your families, help your co-workers, etc.

   
   

Best of luck to you in your nursing career!!
Teresa

So Angelina-

You are so welcome. Regarding your follow up: "Thank you so much for answering! Your answer was super helpful, and definitely gave me a better idea of neonatal nursing! I had one more question, if you don't mind: what courses would you recommend I take now, in high school, to prepare me for a nursing career? I've heard a lot of math and science, but not what classes in math and science. What would you recommend? Thanks so much for your help! I really appreciate it:D"
I think any math or science classes would be helpful. I didn't have the luxury of knowing I wanted to be a nurse in high school-- I thought I wanted to be a chemical engineer! I took math and chemistry to be ready for that, but it turned out that it was also helpful for nursing. Math is important to know how to figure correct medication doses--- microbiology would be great because it would help you understand the infectious process- It would really be great if you could take anatomy and physiology if they are offered at your school. Whatever you take, don't worry, because when you get accepted into a college nursing program, they will help you fill in any gaps in your knowledge- I am very impressed that you are already considering a specialty at your age! Keep up the good work- we need great future nurses like you!