Career Profile: Neonatal Nursing
See Available Neonatal Nurse Schools
Neonatal nursing is a relatively new specialty
branch of nursing, at least compared to adult nursing
and midwifery, and therefore there are great opportunities
for nurses who wish to devote themselves and their skills
to the treatment of newborns in need of specialized
care. Neonatal nurses most often care for babies in
specialized nurseries or intensive care who may be extremely
ill or premature, but they may also work with healthy
babies and their mothers.
There are three levels of nurseries in
neonatal nursing. Level I is a healthy newborn nursery,
where nurses interact with and care for newborns and
their mothers. These nurseries are being phased out
as mothers and infants spend less time in hospitals
after birth. Level II nurseries are intermediate or
special care nurseries. The infants in these nurseries
may be premature or suffering from an illness, and may
be on oxygen, intravenous therapy, specialized feeding
systems, or may just need a little time to mature before
going home. Level III is the Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit (NICU), which admits all the infants who cannot
be in the other nursery levels. These babies may be
small for their age, premature, or sick term infants
who need specialized care such as ventilators, incubators,
or surgery. These nurseries are usually in larger hospitals
and most often in children’s hospitals. Neonatal
nurses provide direct patient care to these infants.
Neonatal nurses work almost exclusively
in hospitals. They usually work 40 or more hours a week,
and due to the nature of the job, often work evenings,
weekends, and holidays. Their salary varies, usually
according to the area in which the nurse is employed.
In the Midwest, a starting salary may be $35,000-$40,000,
whereas on either coast, it is usually much higher,
and in the South it is usually lower, at about $30,000.
It also varies according to experience. The highest
starting salary for someone with no experience is around
$48,000, and experienced nurses can earn $70,000 or
more per year. As there currently is a shortage of nurses
in the United States, the outlook for this career is
very good, and is likely to continue the trend.
Neonatal nurses are required to
be licensed as a registered nurse, which, depending
upon the program you choose, can take two to four years.
After obtaining this license and gaining some practical
experience in a neonatal intensive care unit (the National
Association of Neonatal Nurses recommends two years),
you may choose to return to school and obtain a degree
as a neonatal nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist.
| Arizona Schools |
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Phoenix - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner |
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Ft.
Huachuca / Southern Arizona
- BS in Nursing (RN
Required), Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN, MS in Nursing
(RN Required), MS in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner,
Nursing Informatics Certificate, School Nurse Certificate |
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Tucson
/ Southern Arizona
- Licensed Practical Nurse to
BSN, BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN
Required) |
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| California Schools |
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Fresno / Central Valley - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Southern California - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner |
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Sacramento - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner |
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San Diego - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing/MBA/Health Care Management |
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San Francisco - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Colorado Schools |
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Aurora - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Colorado Springs * - Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN, BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Connecticut Schools |
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Hamden , New Britain - Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) |
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| Flordia Schools |
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Orlando - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Jacksonville - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Fort Lauderdale - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Tampa - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Pensacola - Practical Nursing (Diploma) |
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| Georgia Schools |
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Atlanta - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required |
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Columbus * - MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Hawaii Schools |
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Honolulu - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Indiana Schools |
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Indianapolis - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Louisiana Schools |
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Baton Rouge - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Michigan Schools |
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Detroit - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Portage / West Michigan - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Missouri Schools |
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St. Peters - Associate in Nursing |
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| New Mexico Schools |
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Albuquerque - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Ohio Schools |
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Cleveland - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Oklahoma Schools |
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Oklahoma City - BS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Tennessee Schools |
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Nashville - BS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Utah Schools |
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Salt Lake City - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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* Program Availability Varies By Location and Often Changes. To get the most up-to-date information, use the links we provide to request additional information from a local campus representative.
