NICU Travel Assignment: Oakland, California
The Bay and Beyond in NorCal
I finally got a California license and headed to Oakland to work in a county hospital with a smaller, level II NICU. I prefer working in a level IV NICU, which has higher acuity infants needing intubation for extra lung support or infants needing surgery. The level IV NICU infants are usually hospitalized for an extended period of time, sometimes for months. In contrast, the level II NICU infants only need minimal support and usually released to their parents in a short period of time.
If you are considering a travel assignment in Oakland, CA, make sure to check out the resources provided below:
- Hospital: County Hospital – Level II
- Scrubs Color(s): Any color
- Charting System: EPIC
- Lodging: Furnished Finder. (Short-term rental – 10 minute drive from the hospital). Safe neighborhood in Oakland named Montclair Village.
- Transportation: Drive or Lyft/Uber.
- Hospital Parking: You have to pay for hospital parking. Either pay $10/day parking in the patient garage or pay for a parking pass for the employment parking garage which was around $200 total. There was also free street parking, but I wouldn’t advise because of the area.
- Assignments: 1: 2-3 ratio. Mostly feeder growers or infants on respiratory support, such as NC/CPAP/VPT. No high acuity. You can be trained to be a transition nurse as well to attend labors/deliveries. If there are any infants needing high acuity, they will get transported to the nearby children’s hospital.
- Floating: Mother/Baby. Only taking care of the babies. Staff members were helpful. Usually 1:4 ratio.
In conclusion, a travel assignment at the county hospital in Oakland, CA was a good choice. I even extended my contract for another 3 months. If you want to take break from the high acuity that level III & IV NICU brings, this hospital would be a great assignment to take.
If you have more questions, feel free to contact me or drop a comment below!