Learning about the NICU

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be a very rewarding and heart breaking place to work. The NICU is a place where the smallest of babies are brought to receive care. Some of the babies that are in there were born at 21 weeks gestation and weigh only 600 grams. These babies could fit in the palm of your hand. Even though they may be small, they are fighters. They have a desire to live like I have never seen. When you see baby that you on one day had to intubate and then on the next day is no longer intubated and in progressive care it is very rewarding to know that you helped that baby live. At other times you see babies come in that have many anomalies and know that they are not going and it breaks your heart to know that the only thing you can do is make them comfortable. The families really appreciate the attention and care we give to their baby even if it is postmortem care. In times of post mortem care we dress the babies in an outfit of the parents choice take pictures, cut a lock of hair, take their foot prints and let the parent hold the child for as long as they want. This gives them a sense of closure and lets them say their good-byes to the baby they only knew for a short time. We place the clothes, pictures, footprints, and hair in a memory box for the parents to keep.
Life in the NICU can also be very exciting. We go to all C-sections and high risk deliveries. It is very rewarding when a baby is born in distress and you are able to help him live. These babies give me so much joy when I see their will to live.

Reference:
Merenstein, G.B., Gardner, S.L. (2006). Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.