Becoming a Neonatal Nurse
If you are interested in becoming a neonatal nurse, then you want to be sure you know how to prepare yourself and what will be expected of you throughout your career path. A neonatal nurse is a nurse who cares for babies from birth to day twenty-eight of life. These may be healthy newborns only in the hospital for forty-eight hours, or premature or sick babies who spend the first months of their lives in incubators or in the NICU.
Becoming a neonatal nurse requires a four-year degree and certification as a R.N. (Registered Nurse). This means you have to pass the NCLEX exam. Then you must have some time in a clinical setting. The National Association of Neonatal Nurses suggests that you spend two years as an R.N. in a neonatal unit, but some states require three years.
If you want to advance, you can get your Neonatal Nurse Practitioner certification, which will require a Masters degree. There are programs which allow you to specialize in Advanced Practice Neonatal Nursing (APNN).
The salary for a neonatal nurse varies wildly depending upon where you work and what part of country you are in. But you can expect to earn somewhere between $56,000 and $190,000 depending upon the area you are in and the level of responsibility you have. The level of nursing specialty you possess influences your salary as well. There are three levels in neonatal nursing. Level I is caring for healthy infants. Level II is a nurse who is qualified to care for premature or sick newborns. Level III neonatal nurses are the most in demand because they care for babies in the NICU. These nurses provide around-the-clock care for the sickest newborns, who need more intricate care and procedures. Ventilators or incubators may be used. Level II nurses are more in demand than Level I as well because babies who are premature or sickly require more care than a healthy newborn. Neonatal Nurse Practitioners will typically make roughly $20,000 more than the base salary of their R.N. counterparts.
At most schools, there is no specific neonatal nurse degree for the R.N. Some programs do offer a single elective course in neonatal nursing. As you search for a school, make note of any programs that offer more than a single course in neonatal. There are a few schools that offer neonatal as a specialty or emphasis. These would be better choices if you already know neonatal is where you want to be. Be prepared to take math and science courses such as, statistics, microbiology, anatomy and physiology. As an aspiring nurse practitioner, you would want to seek out a program that allows you to specialize and purse the APNN.
Becoming a neonatal nurse is a smart career move because these specialty nurses are quite in demand. Be aware that continuing education is a must for this special nurse. The number of hours will vary from state to state, but the state licensing board will set a certain number of hours that must be completed in a two to three year time span to continue to be licensed.
Becoming a neonatal nurse is a rewarding career path that allows you to help the tiniest patients who need your tender care.
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