Three years into his nursing career, Jared is still learning something new every day.

As a NICU RN at Providence Swedish First Hill, he works alongside experienced nurses, providers and specialists who help him build new skills, navigate complex cases and continue growing in a highly specialized field. For Jared, that culture of mentorship and collaboration has been just as important as the clinical experience itself.

Looking back, he sees those early experiences as the foundation for the nurse he is today and the career he continues to build.

Finding purpose as a NICU RN

During nursing school at Seattle University, Jared completed an OB rotation at Providence Swedish and was immediately drawn to maternity and neonatal care, including postpartum, labor and delivery and neonatal services. Later, while working as a nurse tech in postpartum, his time with newborns and new families confirmed that this was where he wanted to build his career.

Today, Jared appreciates working in an environment that encourages continuous learning. As a new graduate, he benefited from the nurse residency program, which combined classes and simulations designed to prepare nurses for the unique challenges of neonatal intensive care.

The experience helped him build confidence while reinforcing the value of working alongside clinical mentors who welcome questions, share knowledge and encourage newer nurses as they develop their skills.

Read more about getting started in your RN career with us.

The rewarding work of a NICU RN

One of the most rewarding parts of being a NICU nurse is watching babies make progress over time. Small milestones become big victories as babies grow stronger, families gain confidence and patients move closer to going home.

Some of the moments that stay with Jared the longest come years later, when families share updates and photos of children who were once critically ill.

Those updates are a powerful reminder of the lasting impact NICU caregivers can have on patients and families long after their hospital stay ends.

Guidance through challenging nursing situations

While many outcomes are profoundly meaningful, not every day in the NICU is easy. Nurses regularly care for critically ill infants and support families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

During those moments, mentorship has been especially valuable.

One experience that stands out involved sitting down with an experienced nurse after a particularly challenging case.

“It was a really tough case; I was with the baby for a long time,” Jared shares. “Just being able to process it with her and feel everything I was feeling was lovely. The experienced nurses have been my rock during some emotional times.”

Having trusted colleagues who understand the emotional demands of the work has helped him build resilience and confidence as a nurse.

Jared says, “At First Hill, we serve a very diverse population, see a lot of really hard cases and hear traumatic stories. On my team, we all understand each other, and being able to rely on my peers during and after those tough moments helps me feel supported even outside of work.”

A culture of collaboration and belonging

Jared describes his team as collaborative, compassionate, creative and deeply committed.

In the NICU’s pod system, multiple nurses care for babies in the same room. While each nurse has primary responsibility for specific patients, collaboration is a constant part of the day. Team members ask questions, share observations and help one another navigate complex situations throughout every shift.

Simple moments often make the biggest difference, whether it’s checking in on a teammate, providing a second set of eyes during patient care or celebrating milestones together.

Beyond his immediate team, Jared also values the chance to collaborate with specialists across disciplines and gain insight into areas of care outside his day-to-day practice. NICU nurses regularly collaborate with providers, pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and specialists in cardiology, nephrology, neurology and other areas.

“It’s really cool to work with a bunch of different specialties and learn things that I wouldn’t normally have learned in a nursing role,” he says. “It’s a very special environment.”

Join our nursing team

Jared believes nurses who thrive in the NICU are adaptable, eager to learn and comfortable working in a fast-paced critical care environment. They embrace challenges, ask questions and remain curious as neonatal care continues to evolve.

His experience reflects what many nurses seek in a workplace: the chance to keep developing their skills, collaborate with dedicated colleagues and make a lasting difference for patients and families.

If you’re interested in becoming part of a team like Jared’s, explore our open NICU roles or browse all nursing roles today!