How to Become a Neonatal Nurse

If you enjoy newborn infants, you might consider a nursing career focusing on newborn care. This specialty has many different options, including labor and delivery, pediatrics, or becoming a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse.

Neonatal nurses perform the vital work of caring for critically ill newborns. As a neonatal nurse, you may work under stressful conditions that require you to be alert and agile and to make decisions quickly. Newborn babies can develop complications fast and without warning.

If you’re embarking on this career path, you likely have many questions, such as the time required for education and licensing requirements. Understanding what to expect and your educational options, such as online accelerated BSN programs, will get you on the right path so you can start your career.

 

 

What Does a Neonatal Nurse Do?

Although neonatal nurses may provide primary newborn care, they often provide acute care for babies born with various complications. These may include:

• Prematurity
• Physical disabilities from birth
• Infection
• Genetic alterations
• Congenital heart defects
• Surgical problems

One of the most common issues neonatal nurses help care for is low birth weight, as approximately 40,000 low-birth-weight infants are born in the United States each year. Advancements in medicine, technology, and neonatal nursing have made survival rates ten times higher over the past 15 years.

As such, neonatal nurses are extremely valuable in the healthcare community.

 

Daily Routine of a Neonatal Nurse

Births take place 365 days a year, around the clock. Because of this fact, neonatal nurse shifts cover all hours of the day. It’s typical for neonatal nurses to work 8-hour, 10-hour, and even 12-hour shifts. Neonatal care is provided on weekends and holidays. Depending on your facility, you may receive higher pay as a neonatal nurse if you choose to take on night, weekend, or holiday shifts.

A neonatal nurse may split their time between the nursery and the NICU, or they may specialize in one setting. It’s common for neonatal nurses to be responsible for multiple infants at a time—although the number of patients varies based on the required complexity of care.

 

Where Do Neonatal Nurses Work?

Unlike other kinds of nurses with more of a range in their possible job locations, neonatal nurses usually work in a hospital setting because most births occur there. Neonatal nurses often provide primary newborn care within labor, delivery, and recovery rooms. However, they also provide acute care for babies with serious conditions within a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Neonatal nurses help parents care for their new child. Key duties include:

• Teaching parents how to safely hold their baby who requires advanced monitoring
• Bathing the baby
• Showing parents how to feed their newborn baby properly
• Acting as a bridge between parents and specialists working with their baby

When working within the NICU, neonatal nurses are responsible for monitoring fluctuations in the health of babies experiencing complicated medical states. This NICU nurse job requires steady focus and observation—some infants may not even be able to cry to communicate their distress. A NICU nurse has to look for subtle signs of changes in health status. A few of the critical assessment observations that neonatal nurses routinely make in the NICU are:

• Circulation
• Blood oxygen levels
• Vital signs
• Intake and output
• Weight

NICU nurses also implement and manage advanced monitoring and interventions that maintain heart, lung and kidney function.

 

Personality Traits and Skills of a Successful Neonatal Nurse

In addition to all of the specialized training, there are a few key characteristics that help neonatal nurses succeed in their careers:

• Organization – Almost all nurses work in a fast-paced environment. Staying organized is key to navigating such a rapidly changing workplace.
• Staying calm under pressure – The birthing process (and the days that follow) can be one of the more acutely stressful situations that patients experience. Neonatal nurses thrive when they are able to compartmentalize that stress and provide a sense of stability for others.
• Empathy – Neonatal nurses work with parents who are going through an incredibly profound and emotionally exhausting experience. It’s important that neonatal nurses have a sense of compassion for parents. Although a neonatal nurse might care for multiple critically ill newborns in one day, for many people, it’s not nearly as common. Neonatal nurses help parents find their strength in an unfamiliar situation.
• Attention to detail – In healthcare as a whole, details matter. Small changes can have big consequences. For newborns, these small changes may seem even smaller. It’s important that neonatal nurses don’t miss them.
• Resilience – Neonatal nurses, like many other healthcare professionals, may witness a number of sad and distressing situations. Those who thrive in this career are able to experience its emotional peaks and valleys while practicing self-care and seeking help and support when needed…

 

Is Neonatal Nursing The Right Specialty For You?

If you aren’t sure whether neonatal nursing is the right area of specialty for you, consider registering for a distance ABSN program to become a registered nurse for employment in a NICU. This will give you the experience to determine whether it’s a good fit and also to complete the hours required for many master’s degree programs and specialty certifications.

Hands-on experience will allow you to fully understand the parts of this job that can’t be taught, such as working under unique stresses, delivering compassion and communicating clearly in a high-pressure environment. Additionally, you can be certain that regardless of where you decide to live or work in the future, there will be demand for this specialty.

 

Neonatal Nursing Salary

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t have specific data on neonatal nursing salaries. Instead, it tracks the earnings of RNs as a whole. In 2019, the median annual income for RNs was $73,300. Most RNs who work for a hospital or medical facility receive benefits packages in addition to their salaries.

However, you can expect to earn more than average by seeking more specialization and a higher degree of certification as a neonatal nurse. Those who work in the NICU may receive even higher salaries. In fact, data from ZipRecruiter shows that the national average salary for RNs who work in the NICU is nearly $102,000 annually.

In general, RN salaries are dependent on a number of different factors, such as:

• Education
• Certification
• Specialty
• Years of experience
• Location
• Setting (large hospital vs. small clinic)
• Hours

 

Career Outlook for Neonatal Nurses

The neonatal nursing career is expected to grow across the country in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Populations are growing, babies are continuing to be born, and roughly 10% of those babies will need special care.

Also, The Atlantic reported that one million RNs working today (about 33% of the entire nursing workforce) are over 50. This means that there will be many vacancies in the field within the next ten years as that generation begins to retire.

With education and experience, those who enter the field of neonatal nursing can go on to fill many different roles. A few examples include:

• Staff nurses
• Nurse managers
• Developmental care specialists

With a graduate-level education and additional certification, pediatric nurses may also go on to fill the following advanced nursing positions:

• Clinical nurse specialists
• Neonatal nurse practitioners

 

Education Requirements for Becoming a Neonatal Nurse

The minimum education requirement for becoming a neonatal nurse is a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). However, a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is becoming more commonly required.

In addition to earning a degree, every future neonatal nurse must become a registered nurse (RN). To do this, you must pass the NCLEX-RN—a national nursing exam that uses computer adaptive testing methods. Once you’ve passed, you can apply for a nursing license in your state and begin practicing in the field.

After becoming an RN, future neonatal nurses should enter the nursing field and pursue professional experience related to their career goals. If you want to be a certified neonatal nurse, you’ll need at least two years of clinical experience. Try to earn your clinical experience in areas that align with the neonatal nursing career, such as:

• Pediatrics
• Labor and delivery

 

Specialty education and certifications

You can become a neonatal nurse through in-person or online programs, allowing you the flexibility to earn the degree while maintaining professional and personal commitments. Many programs are 100% online except your clinical practicum experience(s), typically arranged in your local area. Additionally, some programs require a residency. Education and certifications will vary based on the career path you select. A couple of options include:

• NICU RN: As a NICU nurse, you need to earn your RN and then can continue your education to complete RNC or CCRN certification.
• Neonatal NP: You can also become a neonatal nurse practitioner, which requires you to earn an RN license, complete graduate education (MSN or DNP), and then take the NP certification exam.

Continuing education requirements depend on the regulations in your state and the mandates set forth by your certification organization. Regardless of your selection, you must stay current on continuing education requirements to maintain licensure and any certifications.

 

Start Your Neonatal Nursing Career Journey Today

If you think you’re a good fit for a career as a neonatal nurse, you can begin your new path today. You might ask yourself: What if I already have a degree and a job? How can I go back to school for four more years?

With a top-tier and fully accredited online program, you don’t have to spend four years earning a nursing degree in person. Instead, you can earn an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) degree online for less money and without having to move or leave your job. The only in-person commitment involved in a distance ABSN program would be the required clinical hours. Many schools even provide clinical placement services to help students find local facilities to complete these hours.

ABSN degrees work just the same as a regular BSN degree. Once you’ve finished your education, passed the NCLEX-RN, and obtained a valid nursing license, you’ll be eligible to become a registered nurse and specialize in any number of fields like neonatal nursing, geriatrics, home health care, infection control, hospice, clinical development, and more.

If you’re ready to change, get started today by finding your online ABSN program. To help you find your perfect fit, we’ve compiled a list of high-quality, accredited online ABSN programs. Simply enter your Zip code to find which program(s) are available in your area.

The content published on our blog is reviewed by credentialed healthcare professionals to give you the most up-to-date and professionally accurate information. This particular article was professionally reviewed by Colleen Sanders, RN, FNP-BC on July 13, 2021.