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It’s an exciting time to   become a NICU nurse: hospital admissions are at an all-time high, and persistent nursing shortages mean there are tons of bedside jobs available. Whether you’re a new graduate , are a practicing nurse in a different specialty, or are in nursing school exploring employment options, it’s always a good time to make sure you know what’s down the pipeline in terms of career moves. Quick intro, for those who don't know me! My name is Tori Meskin, better known as @nurse.tori_ on insta. As a NICU nurse, blogger, and podcaster this is one of the most common questions I receive! Here, we answer a few frequently asked questions about starting out as a NICU RN, and provide tips for nurses looking to begin their career on a positive note :)  Frequently Asked Questions for Starting as a NICU RN Are there any special education requirements for working in the NICU? The short answer is “no”. You’ll need the same schooling to work in the NICU as you would any other nursing jo b — either an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN). Most hospitals give priority to RN’s with a BSN or may require that you go back to get your BSN within a certain number of years of being hired.  I, as of 2024, completed my MSN Leadership through Capella University and highly recommend their specialized, flexible undergrad programs as well if you are looking to advance your degree in Leadership & Administration, Education, Informatics, or Care Coordination. What NICU Nurse Certifications Are There? Are these Required? Certifications are not required, but may help you gain a competitive edge against other job applicants. Being certified shows that you’ve worked as a NICU nurse for a number of years and have the knowledge and clinical experience necessary to provide safe patient care.  There are two main certification pathways you can take: the RNC-NIC  route, or the CCRN   route. Types of NICU Nurse Certifications: RNC-NIC C-ELBW C-NNIC CCRN-Neonatal  If you’re interested in learning more abou t NICU nurse certification, be sure to check out our blog on how to earn a nursing certification! HOT TIP!!! To stay organized I suggest that you create a photo album or NOTES iphone page named “Nursing Compliance” or “Certifications / CEUs” in your phone with screenshots of each certification you have completed in order to best keep track of them! Do NICU Nurses Only Work in Hospital Settings? Most neonatal intensive care units are located in pediatric or women’s health hospitals, so NICU nursing occurs mostly in these acute care settings. However, NICU nurses can  work in a variety of settings, including: Community health organizations Emergency medical evacuation and transport services  Birthing centers What Types of Things Would I Be Seeing and Doing at Work? There are four NICU acuity levels: Level I to Level IV. The most basi c Level I NICUs provide basic resuscitation on premature but otherwise healthy infants, whereas the most acute Level IV NICUs provide complex treatments for critically ill newborns.  The skills you’ll be expected to have will be different depending on the type of facility you work in. Here are some of the tasks  that you could be asked to perform: Starting IV lines Collecting vitals Documenting assessment findings Feeding infants  Completing diaper changes and documenting output volume Administering medications Collecting lab specimen  Performing genetic screening tests Managing airways and ventilators Assisting during emergencies Attending high-risk births Educating family members Providing lactation assistance to new mothers When I arrive at my level IV NICU I am met with my assignment, gather my report sheets and learn from the shift nurse before me which meds to give, labs to gather and tasks to perform. I do my safety checks, introduce myself to parents when applicable and then start hands-on care. During an average 12 hour shift you will focus on 1 to 4 patients (this largely depends on your STATE and hospital ratios) depending on staffing and their acuity. Your role varies from day to day but overall as the NICU nurse, you perform assessments, monitor / record vital signs, draw labs, administer medications, admit & discharge, pre-op and post op surgical care, assist with procedures, assist with diagnostic imaging, monitor your patient for any sudden changes, prepare feedings, change out IV fluids, perform blood draws, educate family members, and ultimately be your tiny patient’s advocate! Not to mention charting, uhhhhh (my least favorite part, but one of the most important). What Types of Clinicians Provide Care in the NICU? Like in any unit or facility, nurses in the NICU don’t work independently. You’ll work with a strong multidisciplinary team of: Doctors (called neonatologists) Nurse practitioners (called NNPs) Respiratory therapists Dieticians Physical and occupational therapists Social workers Secretaries Music therapists Translators TIP:  Make friends with other clinicians in your unit — not JUST the nurses. Your shifts will go so much smoother if you are working with clinicians you know and trust. Mistakes happen when groups work in “silos” and don’t openly plan or communicate, so be sure to put yourself out there when you’re new to a unit! What Will My Orientation Look Like? If you’re a new graduate nurse, you’ll probably be looking to join a NICU nurse residency program. These programs often involve lengthy orientations in classroom and clinical settings, and can be a great way to ease your way into your first nursing job .  If you are an experienced NICU nurse switching hospitals, your orientation may be a bit quicker, as you’ll be expected to know the basics already and will be focusing more on getting familiar with facility-specific rules and procedures.  Most orientations will include any or all of the following elements: NICU RN Orientation Checklist: Human resources paperwork (dress code policy, email log-in details, ID badge photos, payment details, etc.) Unit orientation (safety equipment, medication room, patient care area, nursing station, etc.) Explain documentation standards  Review shift workflow (RN to RN report, safety checks, physical assessments, medication administration, bathtimes, visiting hours, etc.) Precepted orientation (can be anywhere between 4 weeks and 6 months long, depending on the acuity of the unit and the nurse’s clinical experience) NICU RN ORIENTATION GOALS Here are a few things you can think about during your orientation periods! Identify 3 goals you would like to accomplish on your shift. Identify 3 ways you took responsibility today. Identify if your goals were met and how you accomplished them! What types of patients were you assigned? What skills/competencies did you learn? What are your goals on your next shift? Feedback from your preceptor. What did you do right? Where can you improve? Do You Recommend Any Resources to Help Me Prepare? NCUity Academy's NICU Nurse Masterclass So much of what you need to know about working in the NICU will be learned on the unit! If you really want to prepare, I recommend the following review courses and books! Review Courses Books NICU Essentials Masterclass Merenstein and Gardner’s Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care NICU New Grad Miniclass Neonatal Certification Review for the CCRN and RNC High-Risk Examinations New to the NICU: Experienced Nurse Essentials NICUity’s Respiratory Therapy E-Book ♡EXTRA TIPS♡ MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION EXPECTATIONS This one of the most important parts of our job as nurses. Medication administration and something we should not take lightly. (Especially in our NICU patient population where every decimal / ml counts. First things first, don't freak out. This will become second nature to you the more you are in NICU practice. It is nerving at first, but the weight-based medication administration gets easier with time. HINT: ALWAYS KNOW THE WEIGHT OF YOUR BABY! You will get to a point where you can literally eyeball an order and think to yourself, "Yep, that's on point, OR NOPE!! Wayyy too much (Resident who is writing orders for the first time!)." You are the last line of defense, so when in doubt, CLARIFY or ASK THE QUESTION. Refer to your Safe Medication Administration Policies, but here are some general ideas. NICU MEDICATION TIPS TO CONSIDER 1. Look up every medication! 2. You should know the following before administering safe dose ranges why are you giving the medication? how fast to run the medication (IV route) 3. Take Medication bedside. With EMR and manual conduct review Medication Rights right patient - check ID band right medication right time right route right reason right dose right documentation 3. Barcode scan (and or second nurse verification) administer safely once all checks have been thoroughly completed 4. Ensure proper documentation GET TO KNOW YOUR TEAM! This is KEY! And something we don't talk about nearly enough. NICU care takes a village and the faster you get to know your team, the easier it will be for you to provide tip top care to your patients! 1. Neonatologists 2. Fellow NICU Nurses 3. NP / PA Advance Practice Providers 4. RTs!!!! THESE ARE YOUR BEST FRIENDS; GET TO KNOW THEM WELL! 5. Nutritionists / Registered Dietitians 6. Developmental Specialists (OT/PT, SLP) 7. Social Workers 8. Secretaries 9. Lactation Specialists 10. Translation Services The list goes on...but you get the idea! Get to know your resources and team members. As with anything, gaining confidence and skill in practice takes time. Don't be too hard on yourself. It took me several years to feel comfortable working as a NICU nurse, and even after 10+ years, these babies can throw me for a loop! I hope this blog was helpful for you! Every unit and hospital offers different orientations and cultures in terms of NICU nurse care. Be fearless and humble. Take the good with the bad. If you make a mistake, own it and learn from it! We are human, and we have all been there! Love you guys! Let me know what you thought about this blog below! I love your feedback and always try to give you nurse life on the pulse. If you are looking for a great listen, here is "Life of a NICU Nurse," where I break down my experiences as a NICU nurse over the past 8 years. It's a fun one full of the real real on being a NICU nurse! Tori Meskin, MSN, RNC-NIC, has been a passionate NICU clinician since 2012, specializing in acute care and inpatient neonatal settings throughout Southern California. Board-certified in neonatal intensive care, she also brings extensive experience as a travel NICU nurse. Tori is the co-founder of NICUity, a modern resource hub empowering NICU professionals with hands-on tools, education, and community support. As a mother, wife, and entrepreneur, she shares her journey balancing life at the bedside with motherhood, marriage, content creation, and building a brand. Discover her latest tips, tools, and insights at www.tipsfromtori.com  or reach out at abbysocialmgmt@gmail.com .

The neonatal intensive care unit, often abbreviated “NICU”, is an acute care hospital unit that provides comprehensive care  to newborns. A multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, and respiratory therapists work together to ensure positive outcomes for the infants in their care.  If you’re a nursing student or are a current RN looking to switch jobs , you may be wondering — What does a NICU nurse do, and what steps do I need to take to become a NICU RN? In this post, we provide an overview of the role, list key job duties of NICU nurses, and review the requirements necessary to get a job in the NICU.  What Is A NICU Nurse? Newborns are vulnerable and sensitive to their new environment outside of the womb, no matter how healthy they are. These infants may require attention from specialized nurses who have the training, skills & expertise to improve their outcomes and help them live safely at home. Typically, this infant care is provided in a hospital by labor & delivery nurses (nurses who help during birth) and postpartum nurses (nurses who care for the baby and mother after birth). However, some babies end up requiring additional care. Whether they’re born prematurely, experience birth trauma, are born with genetic diseases or become sick during the first few days of life, up to 10% of all hospital-born babies  end up requiring care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This is where NICU nurses come in!  A NICU nurse is a provider who specializes in the care of neonates  — the hospital term used to describe newborn babies. They provide comprehensive, 24/7 care and help the babies get to a place where their caregivers can take them home safely. Some NICU units provide newborn surgical care, while others may administer multiple IV medications and nutrition sources to help the infant grow and develop.  What Do the Different NICU Acuity Levels Mean? Not all NICU units provide the same degree of care. In the US, hospitals use a 4 level system  (with level I being the least acute, and level IV being the most advanced) to describe the complexity of their treatments and interventions. We outline these levels below: LEVEL I  - Also known as well-newborn nurseries, these units provide a basic level of newborn care to infants at low risk. They have the capabilities to perform neonatal resuscitation at every delivery and to evaluate and provide routine postnatal care of healthy newborn infants. In addition, they stabilize and care for near-term infants (35–37 weeks' gestation) who are stable and can stabilize newborn infants who are less than 35 weeks gestation until they can be transferred to a facility that’s able to provide specialized care. LEVEL II - These special care nurseries treat infants who are moderately ill with conditions that are expected to resolve in days to weeks. These patients are at moderate risk of serious complications related to immaturity, illness, and/or their management. In general, care in this setting should be limited to newborn infants who are more than 32 weeks gestational age and weigh more than 1500 g at birth or who are recovering from serious illness that has already been treated in a level III (subspecialty) NICU. Level II units are differentiated into 2 categories, IIA and IIB, on the basis of their ability to provide assisted ventilation. LEVEL IIA -  These units do NOT have the capabilities to provide assisted ventilation except on an interim basis until the infant can be transferred to a higher-level facility.  LEVEL IIB -  These units CAN provide mechanical ventilation for brief durations (less than 24 hours) or can provide continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). They must have the equipment (eg, portable chest radiograph, blood gas laboratory) and personnel (physicians, specialized nurses, respiratory therapists, radiology technicians, and laboratory technicians) available 24/7 to provide ongoing care and to address emergencies. LEVEL III - These NICU units are defined by having continuously available personnel and equipment to provide life support for as long as needed. Level III NICUs are differentiated by their ability to provide care to newborn infants with differing degrees of complexity and risk. Newborn infants with birth weight of more than 1000 g and gestational age of more than 28 weeks can be cared for in level III NICUs. These facilities have the capability to provide conventional mechanical ventilation for as long as needed but do not use more advanced respiratory support such as high-frequency ventilation. Other capabilities that may be available are minor surgical procedures such as central venous catheter placement or inguinal hernia repair. LEVEL IV REGIONAL NICU - These are the most advanced NICUs, most of which are located in children’s hospitals or academic medical centers. These units perform complex procedures like ECMO catheterization and surgical repair of serious congenital cardiac malformations. These units staff a full range of health care providers, including pediatric subspecialists and specialized nurses. They also employ state-of-the-art equipment to care for their babies.  Concentrating the care of infants with conditions that occur infrequently and require the highest level of intensive care allows these centers to develop the expertise needed to achieve optimal outcomes and avoids costly duplication of services in multiple institutions within close proximity. What are the Most Common NICU Nurse Job Duties? Each NICU will provide different treatments and interventions according to their acuity level. Despite the uniqueness of every unit, this list compiles some of the most frequently performed NICU RN job duties: NICU Nurse Job Duties: ♡ Perform thorough physical assessments ♡ Collect and document infant vital signs ♡ Assist with diagnostic imaging (CXR, ECHO, MRI, etc.) ♡Initiate IVs ♡ Complete lab draws  ♡ Assist during bedside procedures (intubations, extubations, bronchoscopies, central line placements, etc.) ♡ Manage central line care (sterile line changes, tube & cap changes, dressing changes, etc) ♡ Place feeding tubes (nasogastric and orogastric)  ♡ Prepare infants for surgery ♡ Provide post-op care after surgery ♡ Tend to surgical sites (tracheostomy, ostomy, chest tube, incisions, etc) ♡ Administer medications (IV, IM, oral, rectal, buccal, etc) ♡ Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to establish a plan of care ♡ Communicate changes in baby’s status in a timely and efficient manner ♡ Feed babies ♡ Bath babies ♡ Recommend support services (PT, OT, lactation consultant, etc.) when necessary ♡ Provide mothers with breastfeeding and pumping support ♡ Encourage patient and family centered care ♡ Educate and train parents on infant safety and newborn care guidelines ♡ Connect & provide resources for families looking for additional support ♡ Participate in NICU nursing research, evidence-based practice initiatives & quality improvement projects ♡ Precept new nurses ♡ Participate in hospital-wide collaborative teams and leadership groups Each NICU department is different, providing its own level of care to the patients needing treatment. This makes pursuing a career in the specialty fresh, fun, and exciting. The NICU nurse job market can be competitive, but there are a few things you can do to make yourself a competitive candidate . Let’s start by answering a few frequently asked questions.  What Degree Do You Need To Become a NICU Nurse? The minimum degree you’ll need to practice nursing in the United States is an associates degree in nursing (ADN). However, many facilities — including academic medical centers and large community hospitals — prefer or require a bachelors of science in nursing (BSN). If you’re looking to earn a spot in a competitive new graduate program , pursuing the BSN route will be your best option.  How Do You Get a Nursing License? To get an RN license in the United States, you’ll need to graduate from an accredited nursing program, pass the NCLEX examination, and apply for a nursing license in the state you’re looking to work in. Bear in mind that some states have unique requirements for state licensure, like specific academic coursework or safety training.  Are there Any Certifications Required to Become a NICU Nurse? The short answer is – no. Like most other nursing specialties, you’re qualified to work in the NICU as soon as you graduate nursing school and pass the NCLEX. Some facilities hire new graduates  without previous experience! However, once you have experience working at the bedside, earning a certification will certainly make you a more competitive and hireable candidate. Some hospitals will even pay you a shift differential or monthly bonus for holding a specialty certification. The two most common NICU nursing certifications are the RNC-NIC  and the CCRN (neonatal) . You’ll be qualified to sit for each of these certification exams after getting a few years of experience in the field.  Take the First Step In Pursuing the Career of Your Dreams If you’re a nursing student or recent graduate looking to start in the NICU, you have an exciting journey ahead! At NICUity, we’ve got you covered with a full array of NICU nurse educational materials  to prepare you for the role and nursing merchandise   to help you look the part! Visit us at www.nicuity.com   to see all we have to offer — we can’t wait for you to begin! Tori Meskin, MSN, RNC-NIC, has been a passionate NICU clinician since 2012, specializing in acute care and inpatient neonatal settings throughout Southern California. Board-certified in neonatal intensive care, she also brings extensive experience as a travel NICU nurse. Tori is the co-founder of NICUity, a modern resource hub empowering NICU professionals with hands-on tools, education, and community support. As a mother, wife, and entrepreneur, she shares her journey balancing life at the bedside with motherhood, marriage, content creation, and building a brand. Discover her latest tips, tools, and insights at www.tipsfromtori.com  or reach out at abbysocialmgmt@gmail.com .

As a NICU nurse for more than 10 years, I can honestly say that about 95% of the time, I absolutely love what I do. It’s an incredible privilege to care for the tiniest patients and to witness the amazing things modern medicine can do to help them survive and grow. I never take that for granted. But this is about the other 5%. The 5% that comes with heartbreak. The 5% that stays with you long after your shift ends. The 5% that reminds you just how fragile life can be. Recently, I was part of the team caring for a baby and their family during one of those moments. It was one of the cases that really settled deep into my heart. The kind that follows you home, that sits with you in the quiet, that makes you pause and reflect on everything we see and experience in this work. When I need to process things, sometimes I write. And this time, the words just poured out. I don’t know if the family this was written for will ever see it. But I hope that maybe another NICU family will. Or another NICU nurse, respiratory therapist, doctor, or provider who might need it. Because that 5% is real.And no one should have to carry it alone. the angels you did not ask for You’re not supposed to know me. You’re not supposed to need my name. I step in quietly, gloved and steady, Then leave before the daylight comes again.   Some say we play God, In a world of black and white. But here, in the NICU, We live our lives in grey, especially at night.   Most nights blur into muscle memory: Deliveries, admissions, care times, charting, and scars. But some patients carve their names into us, Constellations we’ll carry long after they’re gone.   The hardest truth of what we do Is knowing we can’t fix it all. We can’t make every ending gentler Or silence every loved one’s call.   We are trained to mend and soften blows, To make it better, to restore. We are healers by design — But feelers, always asking for more.   This job asks us to pocket tears, To translate chaos, stand upright in fear, To armor up when the room collapses, Smile steady, then disappear.   Most days the shield fits just fine We tuck sadness neatly away. But some nights crack the surface, And grief refuses to stay contained.   This was one that etched my mind Lines and tubes, a careful design. Ventilator humming lullabies, Pumps in rhythm, all care plans aligned.   Everything where it should have been, Every protocol in sight. But what do you do when fixing it Is no longer an option tonight?   They saw you frozen in the corner, Disbelief written across your face. Your whole life shattered in a second, Time stopping in that sacred space.   Words left you. Movement failed. Your breath caught somewhere deep inside A silence louder than alarms, A scream you swallowed just to survive.   The adrenaline drained from our veins, The room exhaled, the chaos stilled. We watched a tiny fighter rest, Praying hope would bend to will.   Sometimes the world is set ablaze, And there’s nothing left to do. No medication, no miracle— Just sitting in the ache with you.   Facing life without your person Is more than any heart should bear. Gaining angels wasn’t the bargain It’s cruel, uneven, devastatingly unfair.   They say there’s God. They say there’s reason. I don’t know if I believe that’s true. Some losses feel senseless, brutal — And you lost not one, but two.   “They’re angels now,” the whispers say. But you never asked for this. Know we hold your grief with reverence— Because this one shattered all of us.   Walking out of the unit felt heavier, Like gravity had learned my name. Nothing makes life feel more fragile, More sacred, more unbearably plain.   The suddenness of one moment A before-and-after split in two. I wish I could stitch your heart back whole, And undo what that night put you through.   But maybe all I can offer Is this small, honest truth: This broke us too. We wanted to heal. We wanted the impossible for you.   Some say we play God In a world of black and white. But here, in the NICU, We survive in shades of messy grey light.   Moments like this make me wish We had the power to rewrite To take the pain, erase the loss, And give you back your light.   Most days this job feels light and meaningful, Purpose stitched into every breath. And other nights I numb the edges, Trying not to carry death.   To my NICU nurses, Who give your whole heart to the work: Please tend to your grief with tenderness, And let healing find you first.   To the parents who lost an angel, Or maybe even two. Know you live on in our quiet moments, Our hearts still heavy, holding you. INSTAGRAM VIDEO - read it aloud https://www.instagram.com/p/DUW17Imj4Lq/ dedicated to the patient and loved ones of this hardship. and to NICU parents who have endured the same as well as the NICU teams caring for them. xo Tori Victoria (Tori) Meskin, MSN, RNC-NIC, has been a NICU nurse since 2012, caring for critically ill newborns in acute and high-acuity neonatal settings throughout Southern California. Board-certified in neonatal intensive care and experienced as a travel NICU nurse, she is also the co-founder and CEO of NICUity, a modern resource hub supporting NICU professionals and families through practical education, tools, and community. Outside of the bedside, Tori is a mom, wife, content creator and concierge wellness nurse who shares the honest, relatable side of motherhood, nurse life, and entrepreneurship, offering practical tips and encouragement for healthcare providers and modern moms alike. Discover her latest resources and recommendations at www.tipsfromtori.com  or reach out at tipsfromtorimanagement@gmail.com .

Tori Meskin has been a dedicated clinician since 2012, working in acute care and inpatient NICU settings in Southern California. She holds a National NICU Nurse Certification (RNC-NIC) and has extensive experience as a travel NICU nurse. Tori is a sponsored MSN student at Capella University and a Brave Beginnings Ambassador. She recently launched NICUity, a company dedicated to empowering NICU professionals with education, bedside tools, and resources. Follow her journey as she navigates the Tori Meskin MSN RNC-NIC 01 About Me I started working as a Registered Nurse in 2013. I now have over 10 years of neonatal and pediatric critical care experience. Over the years, I’ve learned valuable lessons and formed meaningful connections with coworkers, patients, and their families that will affect the rest of my life! I share many of these insights with you here :) 03 Experience I have served as a specialty NICU & Pediatric Critical Care RN serving patients in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. In these positions, I’ve provided direct patient care, leadership, consultation, education and patient care management expertise for the complex neonatal & pediatric patient populations. In each position, I’ve focused on mentoring fellow NICU RNs in my unit and those around the globe. My diversified clinical experiences have helped make me the nurse I am today! 02 Education I graduated from The University of Arizona (beardown) with a dual major in Nursing and Psychology. Most recently in 2024, I graduated with my Master’s Degree in Nursing Leadership. 04 Experience I am trained to work in specialized areas, including Small Baby Units, and Surgical NICUs (treating cardiothoracic, gastrointestinal, neurosurgical, and congenital anomalies). I’ve also worked as part of a clinical Body Cooling Team, protecting tiny babies and helping them recover after a difficult birth. More about Tori we love the juice 05 NICUity Co-founder In 2024, I launched my own company –NICUity. I created this company with a goal of empowering NICU professionals through comprehensive support, education, and innovation, while fostering confidence and competence for delivering exceptional care to NICU patients and their families. Check out our website , which is chock full of NICU provider tools, education, and resources! 07 Podcast In March 2020, I founded The Cellfie Show , a podcast dedicated to sharing stories from all angles of healthcare. On our show, we interview health professionals, entrepreneurs, innovative businesses, homeopathic practitioners, addiction specialists, therapists & coaches, social media personalities, mental health specialists, patient and family perspectives, and people of interest, learning from their journeys in life and on the job. 06 Social Media I began blogging in 2018 and became an ambassador for Brave Beginnings a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure ventilators and essential neonatal equipment are available to newborns in critical need. I was featured on their 2019 PSA with John Cena to help bring awareness to their mission. 08 Keynote Speaker I began keynote speaking in 2022 and have had the honor of presenting at NANN, the Audrey Harries Foundation of Neonal Nurses, and contributing on panels at NeoHeart. Nurse Blog There are few places to find support, information or insight into the real nursing world. Most blogs out there aren’t able to show a comprehensive picture of what it’s like for us at work and off the job! With Tips From Tori, I wanted to bring you a bit of nursing advice & real life fun as well. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. take me there To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Nurse Tori I NICU Nurse I Tips from Tori Nurse Blog My Professional Life as A Nurse ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Welcome to the most special corner of my website. For over 10+ years now I have been working bedside in the secret gem of a unit called the "Neonatal Intensive Care Unit." (NICU). After 4 years of collecting memories, experiences, & developing my career, I finally mustered up the courage to start this blog. scroll so you want to become a nicu nurse Becoming a nurse can be stressful — you’ll get different suggestions and opinions from professors, mentors, friends, and family members. All who believe that their way is the only way to success. The truth is that there isn’t one “best” way to get into NICU nursing. We all take different paths that best suit our personal needs, but like other parts of life, there are so many ways to get to a position where we feel fulfilled and successful. Here, I answer an array of the most frequently asked questions about becoming a NICU nurse and outline a few of the most common journeys coworkers and friends have taken to get to where they are in their career today. I outline some of the challenges you may face and provide tips I’ve learned along the way to help you become the strongest and happiest nurse you can be. scroll How do I Become A NICU Nurse? This is by far my most asked question. And a very loaded question at that! There are so many ways to become a NICU nurse and I have so many TIPS to offer you. Topics including: How to become a NICU Nurse Interview & Portfolio Tips & Tricks Resources/Websites for hopeful & current NICU Nurses What is it REALLY like to be a NICU nurse? I have created YOU Exclusive NICU Nurse Content & Resources. All of my best modern-day nurse insight & experiences, a collection of Level IV NICU education, curated blogs, with100+ hours of diligent research, podcast interviews, and more. scroll Nurse BloG Your Exclusive Nurse Tori Content I am stoked to bring you this content! These are my PREMIUM posts curated to help you in your Nurse journey! I have compiled all of my BEST content here for you!! TAKE ME THERE ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. Mommy Labor Nurse EP132: NICU Tips from NICU Nurse Tori Click here to tune in! Listen Here Happy Birthway Podcast Peak into the NICU Click here to tune in! Listen Here CLOCKED OUT PODCAST Failing foward with Nurse Tori Click here to tune in! Listen Here The Birth Trauma Mama Ep. 182. Trauma-Informed Care in the NICU Click here to tune in! Listen Here the angels you did not ask for (a poem by Nurse Tori) 12 Example Nurse Interview Questions Common NICU Terms A-Z 5 Reasons to Become a Nurse In Tucson What Does a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) Do? All You Need to Know All You Need to Know About NICU Nurse Certification What Does a NICU Nurse Do? A Career Guide Hot Tips for Nurses Starting in the NICU! 55 Tips for New Grad Nurses How to Land Your Dream Job as a NICU Nurse: 14 Hot Tips NICU Resources and CEUs Every Nurse Needs to Know About 12 NURSE INTERVIEW TIPS & TRICKS! NICU Nurse 101: What Do NICU Nurse Shifts Look Like? NICU Nurse Continuing Education Baby Basics Blog NICU Research Ideas & Topics to Consider Best NICU Nurse Apps!! NICU HOLY GRAIL OF PODCAST EPISODES 1 2

Nurse blog. NICU nurse. Nurse podcast. Best new podcast! Real nurse story. TOP 30 in Medical Podcasts. Tips from Tori & The Cellfie Show Podcast. From her nursing journey, nurse grad school journey, travel nursing, NICU nurse 101, beauty, health & fitness & living a spicy lifestyle. Hey There! I'm Tori Meskin MSN RNC-NIC Nurse. Blogger. Content Creator. Welcome To Tips From Tori. My zesty blog With an informative & trendy side of the medical field. Welcome Hey friend 👋🏼 I started this blog to share the real side of nurse life, both the wins and the wild moments. Over time, it’s grown into something so much more. From bedside shifts to brand collabs with major names in healthcare, this space is all about keeping it real, helpful, and a little bit fun. Read More Glad you're here My mission? Still simple: to help nurses (new and seasoned) feel confident, empowered, and supported. You’ll find top-tier NICU content, nurse life tips, career resources, beauty + lifestyle inspo, and plenty of behind-the-scenes realness. Welcome to Tips From Tori—we’re so glad you’re here 💉💅🏼 1 2 3 4 5 PREMIUM NURSE CONTENT EXCLUSIVE ACCESS to CAREER TOOLS & RESOURCES. THE COMPLETE NURSE INTERVIEW GUIDE. NICU NURSE INSIGHTS & MORE. complete with all of my HOT tips & tricks to land your dream job. TAKE ME THERE