what is a NICU nurse?
As a NICU nurse, you monitor and treat neonatal patients. You mostly treat premature newborn babies or babies born at full-term but have suffered injuries or complications. When you work with neonates born a considerable time before their due date, you monitor their vital signs and ensure they get the support they need to stay alive. Since neonates are small and delicate, you should be extra careful when feeding or medicating them.
While your primary responsibility is to feed and treat neonates, you also interact with their parents. Your job is to provide emotional support and educate them on the complications of the babies. You also provide counselling and support on end-of-life decisions when a neonate's condition gets worse.
As a NICU nurse, you require critical thinking skills to create neonate treatment plans. In case of any complications, you rely on your critical thinking ability to come up with solutions. Since neonatal babies develop rapidly, it is important to understand the stages of development and monitor changes to their vital signs and health. Attention to detail helps you recognise even the slightest changes in the patient's health.
view rolesaverage NICU nurse salary
The typical average salary of a NICU nurse in Australia is $83,000 per year. Your experience will determine your remuneration package. For instance, when you are starting out as a neonatal intensive care nurse, you begin with a salary of $80,500 per year. As you improve your experience and gain expertise, your earnings increase significantly, and you can take home over $91,500 per year.
what factors affect the salary of a NICU nurse?
Your qualifications and experience affect your salary as a NICU nurse. You require a graduate qualification, but having additional training in paediatrics boosts your remuneration prospects. Work experience also influences the duties you perform and determines your salary. With extensive experience, you can handle complex duties at healthcare facilities, boosting your earning potential.
Aside from work experience and qualifications, the work hours also influence earnings. While NICU nurses mostly work in full-time shift schedules to provide round-the-clock care, part-time positions are also available. When you work part-time hours, you are likely to earn a lower rate than NICU nurses who work full-time schedules.
Want to know what you will earn as a NICU nurse? Check out what you are worth with our salary checker.
types of NICU nurse
As a NICU nurse, you can specialise in various areas of neonatal care. For instance, some NICU nurses specialise in respiratory therapy. Your job is to treat the lungs and airways of neonates. You analyse blood gases and monitor oxygen levels. If the neonate is in respiratory distress, you insert breathing tubes and administer respiratory treatment. As a physical therapist, you help build and strengthen the movements of neonates. You perform therapies to keep the joints, muscles, and nerves growing.
As a NICU nurse, you can also assist mothers with breastfeeding premature babies and pumping breast milk. You help feed babies with special needs to ensure healthy growth.
working as a NICU nurse
Read on to learn about the specific tasks, responsibilities, and work environments associated with NICU nursing.
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NICU nurse job description
Some of the duties and responsibilities of NICU nurses include:
- educating parents about caring for newborns: as a NICU nurse, you care for newborns immediately after birth. You provide primary neonatal care by checking the newborn after birth for any abnormalities. You train and educate the new parents on how to take care of the newborn. That involves guiding them on breastfeeding and their skin care needs.
- feeding and monitoring patients in intensive care units: as a NICU nurse, you feed neonates using a feeding tube. You follow the nutritional plan recommended by the paediatrician to ensure the baby achieves the development milestones. Sometimes, you administer supplements to ensure healthy growth. You monitor the babies for changes and weigh them to check for growth.
- checking vital signs and medicating: as a NICU nurse, you regularly examine patients under your care and assess their progress. This involves checking vital signs like temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rates. If you identify any signs of distress during an examination, you administer medication or inform the paediatrician of life-threatening conditions.
- charting and keeping medical records: as a NICU nurse, you document everything about the neonates, from the amount of feeding to diaper changes. You also record vital signs to help doctors adjust treatment plans to meet patient needs.
- repositioning babies: pre-term babies easily get pressure sores on their skin if they lie on one side for too long. Your job is to rotate and reposition babies through the day and night to protect their fragile skin. Repositioning babies also mimics the feeling of a womb for the neonates and promotes healthy muscle tones.
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work environment
NICU nurses work in hospitals, paediatric clinics and mining community health centres. You work in the intensive care unit and monitor babies in temperature-controlled incubators. You work in team-oriented environments and collaborate with other health professionals to provide the best care for the babies. Since babies are fragile and prone to illnesses, you wear protective clothing like gloves and masks. You also ensure the NICU is clean and sterilised to avoid infections. Unlike other patient wards, neonatal intensive care units usually have rocking chairs, brightly painted walls and cosy blankets to maintain a positive environment.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include paediatric nurses, paediatricians and general nurses. You might also be working in close proximity to doctors and midwives, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, personal care assistants, pharmacists and surgeons.
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work schedule
NICU nurses work in shift schedules, usually rotational shifts of eight to 12 hours. You spend most of the day monitoring and feeding one or two neonates, depending on how busy the NICU ward is. Some shifts start early in the morning, while others are late at night. When there are emergencies, you may work on your leave day. Since NICU centres provide round-the-clock care, you are likely to work during holidays.
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job outlook
NICU nurses have advanced training in caring for babies, preparing them for paediatric specialisation. With experience, you can become a paediatric nurse or a paediatrician. Some NICU nurses branch out to other areas of patient care, like the surgery or emergency department.
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advantages of finding a NICU nurse job through randstad
Finding your NICU nurse job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as NICU nurse is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Thousands of people earn a permanent contract every year with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.
education and skills
You should be a registered nurse to become a NICU nurse. Hence, you are required to meet the educational requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The degree takes four years to complete and involves clinical placement, which allows you to gain work experience. Register with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to start working as a registered nurse.
When you are a registered nurse, pursue a master of advanced nursing to become a NICU nurse. Alternatively, get a postgraduate certificate in advanced nursing and neonatal nursing to work in the NICU. Some NICU nurses are trained in Advanced Life Support (ALS). Since you work with children, some hospitals require you to undergo a police check and a Working with Children Check.
NICU nurse skills and competencies
NICU nurses require the following skills and qualities:
- strong communication skills: as a NICU nurse, you are in constant contact with the parents. You require exceptional communication skills to explain the medical conditions of the babies in simple terms. Aside from passing information, you need active listening skills to understand the parents' concerns and establish trust. Communication skills are also essential between doctors and nurses to communicate the treatment plan clearly.
- attention to details: as a NICU nurse, being attentive to details is important. Neonates undergo rapid development, and being detail-oriented helps you notice even the slightest changes. Being attentive to detail helps you recognise changes in a newborn's symptoms and vital signs that could be a health concern.
- manual dexterity: babies are tiny, especially those born prematurely. That means you need good manual dexterity to handle them gently and avoid injuries when the baby is moving erratically. Having nimbler fingers helps you perform the necessary procedures without hurting babies.
- ability to make quick decisions: as a NICU nurse, you act fast if you notice any complications in babies. Since babies cannot speak, you assess situations quickly to ensure manageable problems don't become critical.
FAQs about working as a NICU nurse
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a NICU nurse.
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how much do NICU nurses make in Australia?
As a NICU nurse, your typical remuneration package in Australia is $83,000 per year. When you are in an entry-level position, you start with a salary of $80,500 per year. The most experienced NICU nurse makes over $91,500 per year. Your earnings increase with experience due to the complexity of your duties.
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what does a NICU nurse do on a typical day?
As a NICU nurse, you assist with deliveries and cleaning newborn babies after birth. Usually, you check the babies for any abnormalities and guide the mother on breastfeeding. If the baby has any developmental issues, you follow the treatment plan recommended by the paediatrician.
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what are the duties of a nurse in the NICU?
In an intensive care unit, your duties involve performing multiple medical procedures depending on the care plan. Your tasks include inserting and managing intravenous (IV) lines to administer medication and fluids. You also administer tube feedings and assist with intubation and ventilation when the baby has difficulty breathing.
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how do I become a NICU nurse in Australia?
If you want to become a NICU nurse, pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. After working as a registered nurse for two years, pursue a master of advanced nursing or a graduate certificate in advanced nursing and neonatal nursing.
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is it hard being a NICU nurse?
Unlike other nurses who work in high-stress situations, NICU nurses have more downtime since neonates spend most of their time sleeping. That means you have less physical stress working as a NICU nurse, but the role can be emotionally demanding. You handle vulnerable patients, and some neonates stay in the NICU for months, making it easy to get attached.
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how do I apply for a NICU nurse vacancy?
Applying for a NICU nurse job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.
