Neonatal Nurse Education
A neonatal nurse education trains you to become a very specific type of registered nurse who specializes in the care of newborn babies from birth to about four weeks. They usually have a nursing degree from an accredited institution and have at least two years of study up to about four for a bachelor’s degree in nursing or specialized degree. In some cases, a nurse may choose to take more coursework and obtain higher degrees. Overall, the field is expected by analysts and officials of the United States Department of Labor website to steadily grow in the years ahead. This is mostly due to natural population growth and the fact that more and more nurses retire every year.
A Specialized and Changing Field
It is a fairly new specialized field of nursing and is usually classified by the types of nursery care provided to newborns into three levels. Level I involves newly born babies with no known health issues and primarily offers an environment in which monitoring and feedings are performed. This level is slowly dwindling due to the fact that the time spent in a hospital after birth for both the mother and baby is decreasing. The second level of neonatal nursery classification involves an intermediate environment where babies require close monitoring and treatments but are not in a severe enough condition to warrant admittance in the third level of neonatal nursery. This third level is similar to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where newborns might be prepared for emergency surgery, require incubation or even transfusions.
Education Requirements And Suggestions
When discussing neonatal nurse education, most health and medical institutions suggest at least a two year degree up to a four year degree in nursing. For some positions more advanced degrees might be required. It is important to note that neonatal nurses are technically registered nurses (RN). Overall, neonatal nurse education entails obtaining a high school diploma or equivalent, attending a nationally accredited college or university for two, three or four years and completing certification examinations and clinical hours to legally work as a neonatal nurse. These guidelines can vary from state to state and even between institutions in the same city.
When preparing for a neonatal nurse education it might be helpful to remember some classes are offered online and this is becoming more and more popular. Obtaining an education in neonatal nursing and some related coursework might be easier than one thinks. There are some things to bear in mind when considering an online college. Make sure any credits transfer to another academic institution of choice and that the online school is accredited. Some students choose to supplement traditional college coursework with online coursework because of the flexibility it offers. After graduation and earning a degree in nursing, there are certification examinations administered on the national and state levels that must be passed. Usually, by this time one should know exactly which one to prepare for after some exposure to the field and there are great resources and study guides to use. This is a very specialized form of nursing and the need for neonatal nurses is expected to grow.
