Becoming a Neonatal Nurse

Opting to specialize by becoming a Neonatal Nurse is a wonderful career choice for registered nurses. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that more than 92 percent of registered nurses are female. Most of these female registered nurses have most likely experienced child birth and will be able to very easily relate with Neonatal Nurses.

Actually, any woman who gave birth in a hospital in the past half century more than likely received care from a Neonatal Nurse. Neonatal Intensive Care Units would not become part of hospitals until the 1960s. Today, just about every hospital within the U.S. has one.

As a Neonatal Nurse, you'll be able to work in a variety of settings, for instance medical clinics, pediatric offices, ERs offering care to newborns. You are likely to initially read the results, monitor vital signs, administer medications and order tests and even teach new moms how to deal with their new baby.

You'll also have the education as well as training to help mothers who have had a C-section. Generally speaking, Neonatal Nurses will be dealing with infants which are either preterm, or are under the age of two.

There are 3 types of settings that Neonatal Nurses can be found working in when in the hospital environment.

Level I - provide for healthy babies.
Level II - take care of babies that are premature, or have an illness.
Level III - take care of newborn babies who have critical health issues.

You can expect to find the level 3 nurseries within children's hospitals, or perhaps larger hospitals. A Level 3 nurse is known as a NICU Nurse. They'll manage patients that Level 1 and 2 are not able to care for. Therefore, as a Neonatal Nurse you may be tending to babies that are perfectly healthy, or for mothers or newborns afflicted with truly serious illnesses.

Registered nurses looking to work in this job will be required to get a Master's Degree in Nursing. The undergraduate part of the degree doesn't need to be specialized.

Before you can register for the Master's degree program, you would first have to get a Bachelor's degree in Nursing Because some programs only require that prospects be eligible for licensure, you won't need to be licensed before signing up for the Master's program.

The master's program, needless to say, prepares nurses for being employed in delivery rooms and caring for babies. The education and courses covers common disorders as well as the most effective treatment. Clinicals that are held in neonatal units will also be a part of the necessary training.

The required classes includes things like pediatric pharmacology, neonatal care, and fetus physiology, as well as healthcare system basics. Clinicals at a medical facility are a part of all masters programs, including those which are taken on the internet.

Continuing education requirements will be different from state to state, so you will have to check for your location.

After becoming a Neonatal Nurse, if you require any additional training, you can receive it through online conferences. These conferences are sponsored by The National Association of Neonatal Nurses.