Neonatal Nursing

Neonatal nursing was developed in the 1960s, and the nurses who are involved in this specialty take care of babies during the first 28 days of life.

Duties of a Neonatal Nurse

Neonatal nurses usually work in one of three levels of care within a nursery. These levels were set forth by the Perinatal Regionalization Model, and they are divided by levels of care needed. A Level I nurse would be employed in a healthy newborn nursery, which now is relatively nonextistant because mothers and babies often share the same room and experience a very short hospital stay. Level II is intermediate care for premature babies or sick babies who need supplemental oxygen, intravenous therapy, specialized feedings, or more time to mature before discharge. The Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admits all neonates who cannot be treated in either of the other two nursery levels. The Level III units may be in a large general hospital or part of a children’s hospital. Neonatal nurses provide the direct patient care to these infants.

Related Types of Nurses

Neonatal nurses also may choose careers as an OB nurse, a CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife), or a nurse in women’s health nursing. The CNM is an individual who actually conducts deliveries and maintains a patient roster much as an Ob-Gyn would. The CNM is also an advanced nurse practitioner with an MSN and is a graduate of a two-year program for midwifery. Most programs now require that the nurse has two years of experience in labor and delivery before beginning a CNM program.

A woman’s health nurse is connected more to the areas of childbirth and reproductive issues, and this nurse also deals with those diseases that affect women differently from men, such as heart disease and stroke, diabetes, depression, violence and abuse, and the issues related to caregiving. Most women’s health care nurses must go through the same education as the OB nurse. The OB nurse assists with birthing in hospitals, free-standing birthing centers or in hospital birth center nurseries. Other similar possibilities include perinatal nursing, lactation consultation, nurse practitioner, pediatric nursing and pediatric nurse practitioner.

Neonatal Nursing Degrees

Neonatal nurses are required to carry an RN certification. Some hospital or medical centers may require one year of adult health or medical surgical nursing while other units hire RNs after graduation from an accredited school or college of nursing who have passed a state board of nursing (NCLEX) exam for licensure. Many institutions require no previous experience. Requirements for neonatal nurses are established by the institution which uses a list of practice skills to assess nurses’ abilities in using medications, math calculations, intravenous lines, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and other knowledge needed for direct patient care. Continuing education requirements are mandated by the state or a certifying body. As a staff or an advanced practice nurse, you may also hold national certification in an additional exam that demonstrates specialized knowledge in neonatal nursing.

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Top 10 Online Nursing Schools

LPN to BSN RN to BSN	Indiana State University — LPN to BSN and RN to BSN. Indiana State offers concentrations in the areas of family nurse practitioner, nursing administration, and nursing education.
BS in Nursing MSN - Acute Care	Liberty University — RN to BSN Degree and MSN Degree. The Department of Nursing at Liberty prepares students for baccalaureate level nursing, putting strong emphasis on Christian ethical standards and viewing nursing as a ministry of caring.
RN to BSN RN to MSN MSN - Nurse Administration More...	Kaplan University — Bachelor's, and Master's Nursing Degrees. Kaplan's School of Nursing offers specializations for nurse administrators and nurse educators.
RN to BSN MSN - Nurse Education MSN - Nurse Leadership More...	Grand Canyon University — BS in Nursing (BSN) and MBA/MS in Nursing. Grand Canyon University offers a unique MBA/MS in nursing degree program that teaches students about the business aspect of healthcare, specifically nursing healthcare. Current nurses who want more business experience will find this may be an ideal fit.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing Nursing Healthcare Certificate More...	University of Phoenix — BSN, MSN, and Certificate. The University of Phoenix is the nation's largest online university and currently offers several nursing programs at three different degree levels, based on previous nursing education and experience.
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BS in Nursing RN to MSN BSN to MSN More...	Walden University — M.S. in Nursing (RN Track), M.S in Nursing (BSN Track). Walden offers a wide variety of nursing degrees and certificates that are all accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
MSN - Adult Nursing MSN - CNS/Educator MSN - Nurse Administrator More...	University of Cincinnati — Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN). The University of Cincinnati College of Nursing prepares its nursing students for working with 21st century healthcare technologies to improve patient quality and administer healthcare procedures.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing MSN - Nurse Education More...	South University — RN to BSN and MS in Nursing. The nursing programs at South University prepares its student for professions in a wide variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and school health clinics.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing	Chamberlain College of Nursing — MSN and BSN. Because of the Web-based education that Chamberlain provides, students are able to earn their nursing degree at their own pace. From Chamberlain, students can choose from either a bachelor's degree level or master's degree level, depending on previous experience.
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