Showcase Magazine Autumn 2023 - Flipbook - Page 6
CAREERS
A Careers Chat with a
Neonatal Nursery Nurse
The best part of the job is
seeing the babies develop
and grow to be able to go
home with their families.
As a Neonatal Nursery Nurse in a hospital,
Beki is responsible for the care of
premature and sick babies who no longer
require intensive care or high dependency.
What is your job role and your responsibilities?
Support the paediatric and nursing team.
Record and monitor babies’ oxygen, saturations, heart rate,
respiration rate, blood pressure, temperature, and weight.
Report anything abnormal or deterioration to the nursing and
paediatric team.
Take babies’ bloods via heel prick for their blood sugar
levels, jaundice levels and infection markers.
Care for babies who require phototherapy treatment for
jaundice.
Feed babies by bottle or through nasogastric tubes which
goes into the nose and down to the stomach.
Support parents with their choice of feeding, such as
breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
Care for babies’ personal hygiene through nappy changing,
washing, bathing and mouth care, as well as encourage and
support parents in doing this.
Equipment checks, stocking up and cleaning.
What is a typical day like?
They are 12 and a half hour shifts which could be days, nights,
weekdays and weekends, and the pattern does vary week to week.
We have a morning handover to the team and then we have a
bedside handover. We are involved in the consultant ward round
where the progress of the babies is discussed and a plan is put into
place; we encourage parents to be there as well so they can be
involved in the care and planning of their baby to get them ready to
go home. Most babies are fed on a three-hourly basis, sometimes
two- or four-hourly, and that continues throughout the day and
overnight as well.
What are the challenges of the role?
It can be very busy at times. You can sometimes end up with a bit
of a bigger workload depending on what’s going on, for example if
there's an emergency. It can be demanding, but it is important that
you can manage your time effectively and prioritise what needs to
be done.
What is your background and how did you get into the role?
I did my BTEC National Diploma in Childcare at college when
I finished school, and then went on to work in two different
nurseries over a 10-year period, where I was a nursery
practitioner and then a lead practitioner. I felt like I needed to
do something else and challenge myself a bit more so I
looked at what else I could do. I liked the idea of working in a
hospital and I just happened to come across the job and I
went for it.
What skills and attributes do you need for the job?
A full and relevant Level 3 in Childcare. Hospital experience is
preferred, but not essential - I didn't have it and I’m in the role.
You need to be caring, compassionate, accountable,
respectful and a good listener. You need good
communication skills, both written and verbal, because a lot
of stuff you have to document and it needs to be clear.
Knowledge of safeguarding is essential, as well as the ability
to work within a team and independently. You need to be able
to stay calm under pressure and manage a workload
effectively.
Do you have any tips for our learners?
Try and get some hospital experience if you can by
volunteering. Don't think you just have to stay in a nursery
when you've got a qualification as there are other things you
can do. Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone and try
something different!
Check out the YouTube video here:
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Showcase Training 6