Why Become A Neonatal Nurse

Neonatal nurses are registered nurses who are responsible to care for newborns who are critically ill or premature. (Slide 1: Neonatal nurses with babies [Photos]).

For as long as I can remember, I have always dreamed of becoming a nurse. I knew that I wanted to be a nurse I was just not sure of what kind of nurse, but as I got older I grew to love babies and kids more and more. It then hit me, that I wanted to be a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse (NICU). Being born prematurely, and knowing by hearing stories and reading about the NICU has shaped me even more to want to be a NICU nurse. I know that with being a NICU nurse involves a lot of time and dedication, but that does not matter. I am always asked " How are you going to be able to handle being a NICU nurse", which leads to the response of "I know that it will be hard, but someone has got to do it". I have always been told that it takes someone

The tasks of a nurse fascinates me; I have had several opportunities to observe nurses in hospitals and I find their work intriguing. I have always been interested in the health field and performing the jobs of a medical professional. Ever since the age of twelve, I have known I wanted to attend a university and pursue a career in the health field. I have always had an interest in my science courses, specifically biology and chemistry and have excelled in these areas. I want to be able to receive the best education possible and make my parents and community proud. I wish to do more for my community than just being a typical nurse and I will be able to do more by becoming a nurse practitioner.

I have always wanted to be a nurse: I do not think there is any task that is as satisfying as treating a patient physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. I first pursued my LPN, and immediately I knew I had chosen the right career path. Every day, no matter how tired and weary I felt at the end of the day, I was invigorated by the sense that I had made a positive change in the lives of my patients. To build upon my capabilities to help others, I then pursued my RN. I am currently in an RN-BSN program and hope to begin a graduate program subsequently to become a family nurse practitioner.

A Neonatal nurse practitioner roughly makes about $107,500 and the income per year is about $124,540. The hourly pay a Neonatal nurse practitioner makes is based on experience. As a registered nurse, neonatal nurses have the opportunity to move into management positions, including moving up to being a unit manager or head nurse. One key to getting an advancement in the career field one has chosen is to continue getting educated and trained, while gaining experience and improved skills.(Benefits of being a Neonatal nurse 2010) Though all jobs have high work loads and stress that come along with it, Neonatal nurses spend many hours standing over incubators or isolette, possibly having to bend over, can stress the back. Neonatal nurses may deal with mental and emotional stress because some sick newborn babies don’t get to go back home with their families and the nurses may have to go and tell the parents of the deceased newborn. (Perkins, Sharon. Pros and Cons of being a Neonatal nurse) The schedule of NNP is not typical work day hours. All infants require different type of care twenty-four hours of the day. There are opportunities to work evening or night shifts when working as a Neonatal

A neonatal nurse practitioner is in the medial career field; with this information, you know this job will always be needed. “Because nearly 40,000 low-birth- weight babies are born each year in the United States, there will continue to be a market for neonatal nurses.” (Career Focus) Research has shown that there has been an alarming decline in the

Ever since I was about 10, I was extremely interested in becoming a neonatal nurse practitioner. I love babies and love helping others so I figured this particular job could be perfect for me. A neonatal nurse practitioner means you provide care for newborns in need of specialized attention for about the first month of their life. These newborns are usually premature or very sick and the nurse practitioners are usually their primary caregiver. NNP’s are responsible for their patients, exercising judgment when necessary to assess, diagnose, and initiate medical procedures. Many tasks include monitoring specialized equipment, including incubators and ventilators. Providing education and support to patients’ families regarding neonatal, intensive

Nursing has always been in my life since the day I was born… literally. My Aunt, a labor and delivery nurse, was the one who basically helped my mother deliver me. The fact that my Aunt was lucky enough to be the one that was there for people on those special days fascinated me. As long as could remember I knew I wanted to do that and be the one to help and comfort so many through their highs and lows.

To become a neonatal nurse one has to obtain a registered nursing degree or at least have an undergraduate degree. One must have a completed master’s degree or doctor of nursing practice degree in neonatal nursing. This will take you two to three years after you have your registered nursing degree. Neonatal nurses like registered nurses are required to do clinical training during school. Neonatal nurses also have to do skill labs and intensive training.

A n eonatal nurse practitioner is a nurse practitioner that specializes in caring for neonates. Nurse practitioners are in the broad category of advanced practice registered nurses, or APRN’s. In order to become a neonatal nurse practitioner, one must first be a licensed registered nurse and have a BSN. Many programs also require nurses to have two years of clinical experience before starting the program to become a nurse practitioner (United States, 2014). To become a neonatal

All neonatal nurses must be qualified as a registered nurse, earned through an associate’s degree. Some hospitals accept nurse with an associate’s degree while some only accept the ones with a bachelor’s degree. Neonatal nurses are all required to pass the state board of nursing exam, the National Council Licensure Exam. Just to begin the journey in this career, earning an associate’s will take about 2 years. To move higher, quicker continuing an education would be best to be able to earn a bachelor’s in another 2 years. A part-time will do some justice to be able to continue an education and pay it off, as well. It will cost up to as much as $40,000 for tuitions, books, fees and

In high school I became aware that I wanted to do something in the healthcare field. I realized that a job like that would be extremely rewarding in so many ways. I first looked into nursing. Nursing is an amazing field and so many people are well equipped to take on this job, however I am not one of

One must complete certain levels of education in order to become a good RN and have a successful career. You must have at least a high school diploma or a GED and must have had completed and graduated from a nursing program (www.iseek.org). Then complete supervised clinical work experience along with passing a national and state exam in order to receive a nursing license. Getting a bachelors degree in nursing would

I think my main source of inspiration to become a nurse comes from an innate desire to help people and care for them in times of need. I am also a person who thrives on being challenged and I always have new goals to achieve, so nursing suits me as few other careers offer as much diversity and learning

Firstly, there is an array of knowledge that the neonatal nurse must attain before being competent to practice as a NICU nurse. Primarily having an understanding the anatomy and physiology of a preterm infant is key. Preterm infants present completely different than other patients, as they do not have the same body mechanisms as a fully developed individual (Drozdowicz & Dillard, 2014). These