I'm 25 years old and have been working in the NICU for about 2 years now and absolutely love it!  Though it is difficult to find- I did manage to get a job in a NICU straight out of school. It basically depends on the hospital. Some will take new nurses, and some prefer a year or two experience in another area. If you are unable to get a job in NICU, I would recommend trying for post-partum/Nursery. That way you get some hands-on experience with healthy newborns (its helpful to get a good concept of what's normal and what isn't in a new baby, when you transition into NICU)   Some hospitals also offer an internship program to get your foot in the door. I know when I was in school many people were recommending some med/surg experience first..... I personally hated med/surg and wanted to avoid it at all costs! :)   The meds are different, the labs are different, the body system is even different... I DO believe med/surg nursing would be beneficial, but there are also soooooooo many differences from adult to infant care that I don't think its experience you NEED to have.  As far as pay goes, that completely depends on geographical location.... I work in philadelphia, so it pays pretty well. It is such a rewarding field to be in, I can't imagine doing anything else. I'd be more than happy to answer any other questions you might have!  good luck!

I would suggest: Core Curriculum for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing by Jane Deacon and Patricia Oneill.    And/or Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care , published by mosby. Both will be really good reference books for you.    ...also, as a new grad, a Physical Assessment of the Newborn book might be helpful also!!  Good luck!

I had worked in a family physicians office- did some ECG's, phlebotomy, and in-house lab testing.... general task-related nursing stuff. As far as the hiring process....my first job out of school, I searched desperately for a NICU position. I filled out online applications at all the area hospitals websites and I eventually put my resume' on Monster.com and on Careerbuilder.com. Both brought in a HUGE amount of calls, a lot from recruiters that were more annoying than helpful. But I did eventually get a call from a hospital in the area and was asked to come in for an interview for a mother/baby/NICU position. At the interview they tend to start with "So tell me a little about yourself." and they ask a lot of scenario type questions... like "How would you handle a conflict with a co-worker?"  "How would you cope with the stress of a dying patient?" "What made you choose this hospital?"  etc....     And you should prepare a list of questions for them too (make sure you know what you are getting into at their facility)  After the interview they say they'll call ya when they make a decision. After they call, they'll set up a time for you to sign paperwork, get an ID badge, etc.. and have you meet with the Clinical educator for the department you'll be working in. You usually have some kind of hospital orientation, and then are oriented to your unit. For me at my first job, I had a 6 week orientation to mother/baby, and then another 6 week orientation to NICU.  During orientation I was assigned a preceptor/experienced nurse that I basically did everything with. The first couple days were basically just me being her shadow, and then little by little I started taking over, until at the end she was shadowing me.   For the NCLEX, I would definately invest in a workbook that has a lot of practice questions, and just try and make time to do them.

Yes, thank you! Your response is greatly appreciated. I am sure I will get back to you with more questions.