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Jennifer Castro

Professor Collins

ENGL 1301

16 September 2017

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Prematurity is very common in todays medical field for a neonatal nurse practitioner.

NNPs are members of the health care team that are highly valued and respected for being the

voice of the smallest and sickest patients that dont have one. A Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

(NNP) is a skilled, educated advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who is responsible for

providing specialized care to newborn infants (RegisteredNursing.org). They provide direct care

to those who are experiencing infections, respiratory problems, genetic disorders, and

prematurity. The career of a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner will be reviewed based on education,

job requirements/responsibilities, salary and benefits to determine if this is a realistic career

choice.

The education requirements to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner according to

RegisteredNursing.com, is that they must enroll in a four-year university to obtain their

Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Depending on the level of dedication, it can take

up to three to four years to receive their BSN. When the undergraduate receives there BSN, they

must complete the accredited registered nurse program and pass the NCLEX-RN examination.

After successfully passing the exam, the student is to apply to a states licensing agency to

become a fully licensed registered nurse (RN). The individual has two choices, either to enroll

and complete a two-year Advanced Practice Neonatal Nursing (APNN) program or earn a post-
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grad Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree with a concentration in neonatology

(RegisteredNursing.org). Therefore, completing one of these two educational programs, it is a

necessity as a licensure clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner. Both routes are acceptable

for national certification and advanced practice licensure or recognition through all state Boards

of Nursing (RegisteredNursing.org). Neonatal nursing is a big commitment but for those who

are willing to sacrifice their time and put effort to make their dream job turn into reality, will in

deed succeed.

The job requirements and responsibilities to become an excellent NNP, include

exceptional dexterity, vision, agility, and should be highly observant with excellent hearing to

ensure the well-being of the infant under their care (RegisteredNursing.org). Therefore, the

most important traits a nurse needs are to be compassionate, caring, and to emotionally take

charge in pressured situations. According to NurseTheory.com, Nps are required to wear scrubs

to help be identified as nurses and to protect personal clothing from being ruined in the work

place. Scrubs are inexpensive which makes it easier for the individual to replace if they were

ever to get ruined. They can change up to two-three times a day depending on the patients

condition. Scrubs are comfortable and easy to wear for an individual especially when working

long shifts. RegisteredNursing.org states that neonatal nurse practitioners have multiple duties

such as, assessing vital signs, drawing blood, beginning and maintaining IV lines in infants, to

even monitoring and managing specialized equipment like ventilators and incubators. Their

position is to highly specialize care for the newborn and to make sure the infant is stable and

healthy. Being a caretaker for these infants comes with many requirements and responsibilities

but have more advantages to get paid more depending where the individual decides to work at.
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A Neonatal Nurse Practitioner gets paid approximately forty-five dollars per hour,

receiving an approximate median annual salary of $105,325 (RegisteredNursing.com).

Chron.com lists that, NPs working at a home health services compared to those employed at

colleges and universities make about forty dollars per hour. General hospitals report that they

make forty-five dollars per hour compared to those that work at a specialty hospital making fifty

dollars per hour. Lastly a Physician's office average about forty-three dollars per hour. According

to Healthassistancepartnership.org, council of international neonatal nurses states that, a NNP

or a teacher can make around $56,000 to $190,000 per year. Also, around 50 percent of NNPs

earn around $73,840-$87,008 per year (Healthassistancepartnership.org). Becoming a neonatal

nurse practitioner does not just include responsibilities and a high payroll but great benefits along

the way.

The benefits that comes with being a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner is that they can work in

any levels of a Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). Level I nurses care to ensure that healthy

newborns less than thirty-five weeks stay fed, warm, and content. Nurses in Level II units work

with infants who need special feeding and that are having breathing problems. Level III nurses

work in NICU with ill infants whove had surgery or high tech-treatment. Lastly, Level IV

nurses attend to infants who were born as young between twenty-two to twenty-four weeks

gestational age (Healthassiantancepartnership.org). The individual can also work somewhere else

other than the NICU such as, clinics, public and private hospitals, and home health services.

Another benefit of being a NP is having a flexible and unpredictable schedule. Some work days,

evenings, nights or even a combination of all three. NPs can often be found working eight-hour

days, ten-hour days or even twelve-hour days depending on their availability. It is most likely for
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a neonatal nurse to get between thirty-six to forty hours a week. Becoming a NP is a long

journey with many advantages at the end of the

The career of a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner was reviewed considering education, job

requirements/responsibilities, salary and benefits. These four pieces of criteria are all positive

impacts because the role involves dedication, people skills, a big income and a flexible schedule.

Based on the interests of a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, it is a realistic job to those who are

determined, work an unpredictable schedule and are willing to make an impact in an infants life

that is in need.
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Works Cited

Androus, Amanda Brucceri, et al. Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. Registered Nursing.org,

www.registerednursing.org/nurse-practitioner/neonatal/.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Salary. Online Healthcare Degree Programs, 15 Jan. 2016,

www.healthassistancepartnership.org/neonatal-nurse-practitioner-salary/.

Pratt, Justin. Neonatal Nurse Benefits. Chron.com, 25 Sept. 2017,

work.chron.com/neonatal-nurse-benefits-14501.html.

Home. Nurse Theory, 25 Dec. 2014

www.nursetheory.com/why-do-nurses-wear-scrubs/.