The Training to Be a Neonatal Nurse

Registered nurses now have the choice of seeking a neonatal nursing career path, which is relatively new compared to more common nursing career options; and neonatal nursing is a specialty with numerous positions for trained professionals who would like to work with infants. Chronically ill and premature children have to have special care, and nurses from the neonatal specialty help mothers quickly learn how to take care of their babies and work with the infants themselves.

You’ll probably be asking yourself specifically what a neonatal nurse does? The term neonatal refers to children twenty-eight days old or less; thus, medical personnel in this profession help infants younger than 28 days old which require intensive and specialized care. Neonatal nurses can be found in 1 of 3 types of nurseries:

The first type is Level I and contains healthy babies. Thanks to much shorter stays in the hospital as well as the fact virtually all mothers and their babies now share a hospital room, Level I nurseries have essentially vanished.

A Level II nursery provides specialty care for premature infants as well as those coping with an issue. In situations like these, the infant needs special care and sometimes special feedings; oxygen or intravenous fluids may be administered; a longer stay may be warranted.

Level III nursery is a neonatal ICU which provides care beyond the abilities of a Level I or II nursery. Level III babies may need special care due to their size, prematurity, or ailment. Level III nurseries usually are furnished with surgical equipment, incubators and ventilators. Usually, nurses who in Level III nurseries are housed either in a large hospital or a children’s hospital.

For anybody who is interested in becoming a neonatal nurse, you will need to first put in the 2 to 4 years needed to become an RN. Following graduation, you will need to pass a state licensing exam so you can become an RN.

The specific specifications for a neonatal nurse are varied and based on the hospital where you are pursing a job. There are institutions that want candidates having a minimum of 12 months experience with either adult health nursing or medical surgical. Typically, you’ll find places willing to hire nurses that do not have experience of any kind.

Even after you graduate from the nursing program, you’re not quite done; you must complete the necessary continuing education hours required by the state you want to work in. The number of hours of continuing education you have to complete during your licensing cycle-which is two to three years usually-is set by your state board.

What beginning salary can a new neonatal nurse expect to make?

In the Midwest U.S., the starting pay for nurses with no experience is likely to be within the range of $38,000 to $44,000. The starting salary is $40,000 for new nurses on the east or west coast.. The starting salary is $30,000 in the South for new nurses. If you have no experience, probably the most you could expect to start at is going to be $48,000. Nurses with experience earn a great deal more.

If you decide to become a neonatal nurse, it can be incredibly rewarding. The wonder of dealing with healthy newborns cannot be understated; nevertheless, there’s always great pleasure in the discharge of a mother and baby which have defeated life-threatening health problems.