Neonatal Nursing Research Paper

Lipsey 1

Danielle Lipsey
Ms. Brockett
English 4 CP
02 November 2015
Saving New Lives According to The Premature Infant Advocacy Resource Guide, in the United States, 11.5% of births are preterm and such infants require special attention and care. Neonatal nurses provide the much-needed care for infants that are born without proper functions that will allow them to live a healthy life. Neonatal nurses specialize in many different types of care in order to help these particular infants. Units of care for infants range from premature development problems to serious respiratory and digestive problems. There are specific neonatal nurses that specialize in intensive care units in hospitals to take care of infants immediately after birth (NICU).
This type of nursing requires many education requirements and training. Their salaries also differ from other nurses such as pediatric nurses and registered nurses. Finally, neonatal nurses differ in the units of care they work in. As there are different levels of severity of the infant's condition, there are also different units of care for them. After many years of education and training, neonatal nurses save lives and help many families through such a difficult time of many people's lives. In order to start a career as a neonatal nurse, one must first have the required education and experience (Brannagan "NICU Nursing Careers"). Through either a four-year university or a technical college, a potential neonatal nurse must become a registered nurse. According to the State Board of Nursing, neonatal nurses must be a registered nurse with their Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Some find it easier to attend a four-year university and earn their Bachelor's degree within their four years of college. Another way of becoming a registered nurse and obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Science is to complete two years at a technical college and obtain an Associate's degree. After obtaining this, the next step would be to go to a medical school or through a medical program to gain experience and a bachelor's degree (Brannagan "NICU Nursing Careers"). One of the many things that a neonatal nurse will need is the ability to care for and nurture newborns and infants. These nursing programs can vary in lengths and can provide many useful things that will help throughout their career. Extra licensing and voluntary certifications are also things that will help establish a successful career as a neonatal nurse ("What Can I Do Now? Exploring Careers For Your Future Nursing" 37). All though it takes time and effort to get through all the steps to become a neonatal nurse, it is a career that pays very well and can be very satisfying. One of the advantages of being a neonatal nurse is the salary possibilities. Depending on the location, neonatal nurse salaries can range anywhere from $38,660 up to as high as $93,609 annually ("What Can I Do Now? Exploring Careers For Your Future Nursing" 37). According to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Registered Nurse Salary, the average hourly wage in the United State is $30.29. In bigger cities such as New York and Los Angeles, the population and cost of living are very high. Being so, neonatal nurses get paid much more than they would in smaller cities due to the higher population rate. In smaller states like Arizona and Wisconsin, their salaries are not as high but still fall somewhere between $50,000 and $60,000 (Brannagan "NICU Nursing Careers"). Even though the pay is lower it doesn't really affect them because in states like that the cost of living is much lower. Regardless of the location, neonatal nursing is a very well paying career. There are many different units of neonatal nursing.
Because there are different sickness and illnesses that an infant can be born with, there have to be different units of care for them. Neonatal nurses have three different levels that they can be a part of in the hospital ("What Can I Do Now? Exploring Careers For Your Future Nursing" 42). According to Neonatal Nurse Specialist Career Overview, Levels I, II, and III are completely different. In Level, I nurses are responsible for taking care of the generally healthy babies. These infants are born with minor issues that do not need close supervision. In Level II, premature babies and babies born with minor respiratory problems are taken care of. These infants require a little more attention than healthy infants. Neonatal nurses have to monitor and provide the necessary treatment to help make it easier for the infant to grow stronger and healthier. In Level III, the most severe infants are taken care of. These infants require twenty-four seven supervision and sometimes require immediate surgery after birth. Most infants in this unit are required to live in incubators and parents have to be taught how to care for them. Special training and extra education are administered to the neonatal nurses that work in Level III. Although each level requires different qualifications and training, they are all equally
important.