Registered nurses now have a choice of choosing a neonatal nursing career path, which is somewhat new compared to more common nursing career options; and neonatal nursing is a specialty with a lot of openings for nurses who would like to work with new infants. Neonatal nurses assist premature and chronically ill infants, in addition to their mothers, who require help and guidance to tend to their infants.

What do neonatal nurses do? A neonatal nurse provides specialized as well as intensive care for infants 28 days old or less. Three different types of nurseries need to have neonatal nurses:

Level I nursery is normally for healthy infants. However, work opportunities in such a location are rare simply because modern day hospitals often do not even have a Level I nursery. With mothers opting to room-in and insurance companies sending moms and babies home sooner, Level Is really are a thing of the past.

A Level II nursery provides specialty care for premature infants as well as those coping with a problem. Babies born under these circumstances may require IVs, oxygen, or perhaps special feeding schedules or formula; preemies typically have to stay in the hospital a little while before being released.

Level III nursery is a neonatal intensive care unit which offers care beyond the abilities of a Level I or II nursery. Babies needing a stay in these nurseries are commonly undersized or premature; often they are sickly. These units can include ventilators, specialized equipment including incubators or surgical intervention. Usually, nurses working in Level III nurseries are housed either in a big hospital or perhaps a children’s hospital.

If you\’re interested in becoming a neonatal nurse, you will need to first put in the 2 to 4 years that are needed to become an RN. After graduation from an RN program, there is a state licensing exam.

The specific specifications for a neonatal nurse are diverse and primarily based on the hospital where you’re applying for a position. Some hospitals will require a year of medical surgical or adult health nursing experience. Some other medical centers will hire RNs without any previous experience.

Following graduation from nursing school, there are continuing education prerequisites established by either the state a nurse is practicing in or the nursing certifying body. The state you are licensed in determines the mandatory number of hours you need to take of continuing education in order for you to renew your license every few years.

What type of earnings can you expect in becoming a neonatal nurse?

The beginning salary for nurses who are new to the field is $38,000 to 44,000 in the Midwest.

The starting salary is $40,000 for new nurses working on the east or west coast.

The starting salary is $30,000 in the south part of the country for new nurses.

For people with no experience, the most you could expect to ever start at would be $48,000.

Neonatal nursing is actually a gratifying profession. Although sick infants will take an emotional toll, sending home a child with its mama after you have helped make the newborn well is enormously fulfilling.

Learn everything you need to know about becoming a Neonatal Nurse and decide if this is the right career choice for you.

Still looking for more information about becoming a Neonatal Nurse to help you make your decision? Learn more about this exciting career and search for schools that can help you get the training you need by visiting http://www.becominganrn.net/

Author Bio: Learn everything you need to know about becoming a Neonatal Nurse and decide if this is the right career choice for you.

Category: Education
Keywords: becoming a neonatal nurse,how to become a neonatal nurse,steps to becoming a neonatal nurse