For many people, becoming a nurse has been a lifelong dream. A young person is not thinking of the paycheck involved. Instead, they are thinking that they want to help people and make a difference.
Every type of nurse plays a critical role in healthcare. If you are someone that enjoys working with babies, you might want to consider labor and delivery, or neonatal nursing. A neonatal nursing education requires a bit more time but will allow you to work with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
A Day in the Life of a Neonatal Nurse
A neonatal nurse cares for premature infants directly after birth. Neonatal nurses must monitor conditions 24/7 in an intensive care unit.
Working with these newborns and their families may be less physically demanding than other positions even though they work long shifts and often overnight. This is not a 9-to-5 job and just like most other nurses, you can expect to work overnights, weekends and holidays.
No two shifts are like although the basic duties include administering feedings, monitoring vitals, and making sure the newborns are comfortable.
Neonatal Working Conditions
A neonatal nurse must love working with newborns and parents. This is a very high-pressure, fast-paced job and as a nurse you must constantly be alert for the entire shift.
The health conditions of the infants in the intensive care unit can change in a moments notice, so a nurse working in this position must be mentally agile and able to make snap judgment calls.
Although a highly stressful job, a neonatal nurse will tell you the rewards greatly outweigh the stress or other problems that they may face.
Neonatal Nursing Requirements
An NNP will need to be licensed as a registered nurse first. After becoming licensed as an RN, https://nursingdegreeinfo.com/how-long-is-nursing-school/ you’ll work with children or infants to gain experience. This may include working in a pediatric unit or a nursery in the hospital.
A Master of Science Nursing Degree with study in neonatology or an Advanced Practice Neonatal Nursing program is necessary to become an Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. The National Certification Corporation can issue neonatal nurse practitioners their certification.
Neonatal Nurse Practitioners Work Places
An NNP will work in the following settings:
Neonatal Intensive Care Units
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Research Institutions
How Much Does A Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Make
PayScale.com report that the average annual salary of an NNP is $98,160. The typical hourly salary of a part-time NNP is $52.65. The need for an NNPs is expected to increase in the coming decade. The most desirable candidates will have advanced education training and experience.
If you possess the agility and empathy to care for newborn infants, you will find this a highly rewarding career. Although financially rewarding, for most nurses, money is not the reason for entering this field.
There are online classes that you can start with to get some of your classroom training done if you are currently working full time or don’t have a nursing school campus near you. Either way, there’s no time like right now to get started.