Essay On Neonatal Nursing
A neonatal nurse takes care of new born infants up to 28 days after birth. Neonatal nursing works with new born infants with a variety of problems, ranging from prematurity, birth defects, infection, cardiac malformations and surgical problems. Compared to other nursing specialties, neonatal nursing is fairly new. It emerged during the 1960’s. Since it’s an up and coming field, numerous job opportunities are available for aspiring nurses interested in newborn care.
College level nursing degree programs are available at the associate’s, bachelors, and graduate levels. After earning a degree, nursing school graduates are required to become licensed as registered nurses by passing a state test before they can practice professionally. Neonatal nursing degrees are not available at the undergraduate level, but most undergraduate degree programs offer neonatal nursing courses. Aspiring neonatal nurses should …show more content…
obtain some work experience, preferably 2 years, within a NICU before applying to graduate degree programs. Registered nurses with graduate degrees can become clinical nurse specialists or neonatal nurse practitioners.
Neonatal nursing requirements are determined by the organization hiring them.
Most healthcare providers test neonatal nurses for capability in administering medications, intravenous lines and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other neonatal medical procedures. Each state’s board of nursing determines continuing education requirements for neonatal nurses. Most boards require nurses to complete a specified amount of continuing education hours every 2-4 years to retain licenses. Many advanced practitioners and staff nurses are required to become nationally certified by passing an exam covering neonatal nursing concepts.
Each healthcare organization has different requirements for neonatal nursing entry-level positions. Some organizations require 1 year or more of nursing experience, while others hire registered nurses who’ve recently graduated from college. Likewise, some organizations do not have work experience requirements. Although demand for nurses is high nationwide, certain regions of the country have more open neonatal nursing positions than
others.
Neonatal nurses are employed at level I, II, or III nurseries. Care levels are established by the Perinatal Regionalization Model. Additional details can be found in the fourth edition of the Guidelines for Perinatal Care. Level I nurseries typically house healthy mothers and newborns requiring short periods of hospitalization. In most cases, mother and newborn are housed in the same hospital room. Neonatal nurses are typically employed in NICUs. They usually have the choice of working with healthy newborns, NICU housed newborns, new mothers, or premature infants. Level II nurseries house newborns requiring some medical care, especially if they are premature or sick. Babies housed in these facilities often require additional oxygen, intravenous therapy, feeding tubes, or other therapies. Level III facilities are also known as neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Only children still in the neonatal phase of development requiring advanced medical care are admitted. These children may suffer from low birth weights, require ventilators and 24 hour care, be recovering from surgery, or have been born premature. These facilities are usually found within general or children’s hospitals. Neonatal nurses are employed in level III facilities to care for sick infants.
Annual salaries for neonatal nurses are affected by geographic region, experience, and other factors. Inexperienced nurses practicing within the Midwest typically earn between $35,000 and 40,000 annually. Nurses employed in the West and East coasts typically earn more money. Entry-level salaries for nurses employed in the South begin at $30,000 a year. The highest entry-level salaries for neonatal nurses barely exceed $48,000 a year. Experienced neonatal nurses earn higher annual salaries.
I think the career will be good for me because I’m really good with babies. I’ve always been a really caring person. No matter how hard it’s going to be, I want to be able to know I helped a baby and its family. I’m good in situations of panic, and I try to always remain calm. As for right now I want to be a level I neonatal nurse, but I feel like I will want to advance to a level lll nurse when I’m older. Although I feel like I would love being a neonatal nurse there are other things that could get in the way of that dream. I suffer from depression, therefore making me more prone to become depressed in that kind of environment. Most people think a neonatal nurse is just playing with newborns, feeding them, and the normal baby care. Sadly, tragedies happen, and in the worst cases, families lose there child. Being around sick infants all the time can take a toll on someone’s happiness. I feel like I am a strong person and I’ll be able to handle being a neonatal nurse.
College level nursing degree programs are available at the associate’s, bachelors, and graduate levels. After earning a degree, nursing school graduates are required to become licensed as registered nurses by passing a state test before they can practice professionally. Neonatal nursing degrees are not available at the undergraduate level, but most undergraduate degree programs offer neonatal nursing courses. Aspiring neonatal nurses should …show more content…
obtain some work experience, preferably 2 years, within a NICU before applying to graduate degree programs. Registered nurses with graduate degrees can become clinical nurse specialists or neonatal nurse practitioners.
Neonatal nursing requirements are determined by the organization hiring them.
Most healthcare providers test neonatal nurses for capability in administering medications, intravenous lines and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other neonatal medical procedures. Each state’s board of nursing determines continuing education requirements for neonatal nurses. Most boards require nurses to complete a specified amount of continuing education hours every 2-4 years to retain licenses. Many advanced practitioners and staff nurses are required to become nationally certified by passing an exam covering neonatal nursing concepts.
Each healthcare organization has different requirements for neonatal nursing entry-level positions. Some organizations require 1 year or more of nursing experience, while others hire registered nurses who’ve recently graduated from college. Likewise, some organizations do not have work experience requirements. Although demand for nurses is high nationwide, certain regions of the country have more open neonatal nursing positions than
others.
Neonatal nurses are employed at level I, II, or III nurseries. Care levels are established by the Perinatal Regionalization Model. Additional details can be found in the fourth edition of the Guidelines for Perinatal Care. Level I nurseries typically house healthy mothers and newborns requiring short periods of hospitalization. In most cases, mother and newborn are housed in the same hospital room. Neonatal nurses are typically employed in NICUs. They usually have the choice of working with healthy newborns, NICU housed newborns, new mothers, or premature infants. Level II nurseries house newborns requiring some medical care, especially if they are premature or sick. Babies housed in these facilities often require additional oxygen, intravenous therapy, feeding tubes, or other therapies. Level III facilities are also known as neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Only children still in the neonatal phase of development requiring advanced medical care are admitted. These children may suffer from low birth weights, require ventilators and 24 hour care, be recovering from surgery, or have been born premature. These facilities are usually found within general or children’s hospitals. Neonatal nurses are employed in level III facilities to care for sick infants.
Annual salaries for neonatal nurses are affected by geographic region, experience, and other factors. Inexperienced nurses practicing within the Midwest typically earn between $35,000 and 40,000 annually. Nurses employed in the West and East coasts typically earn more money. Entry-level salaries for nurses employed in the South begin at $30,000 a year. The highest entry-level salaries for neonatal nurses barely exceed $48,000 a year. Experienced neonatal nurses earn higher annual salaries.
I think the career will be good for me because I’m really good with babies. I’ve always been a really caring person. No matter how hard it’s going to be, I want to be able to know I helped a baby and its family. I’m good in situations of panic, and I try to always remain calm. As for right now I want to be a level I neonatal nurse, but I feel like I will want to advance to a level lll nurse when I’m older. Although I feel like I would love being a neonatal nurse there are other things that could get in the way of that dream. I suffer from depression, therefore making me more prone to become depressed in that kind of environment. Most people think a neonatal nurse is just playing with newborns, feeding them, and the normal baby care. Sadly, tragedies happen, and in the worst cases, families lose there child. Being around sick infants all the time can take a toll on someone’s happiness. I feel like I am a strong person and I’ll be able to handle being a neonatal nurse.