By Elena McDowell


Neonatal nursing is a specialty in the nursing field that involves working directly with newborn infants with various problems. The neonatal period refers to the first month of human life. Neonatal nurses education is expected to take some time and may vary based on the country in which a person practices.

People looking to work in this position as a career have to be properly trained. After all, they are given the major responsibility of caring for ill infants. Before starting neonatal studies, most students are expected to complete their undergraduate education and receive a degree.

There are some community and junior colleges that offer associates degrees in the field of nursing and most four-year colleges offer bachelors degrees. These programs do not usually offer specialty courses. Nonetheless, some may have neonatal electives available to those who are interested.

There are different routes that may be taken to receive certification or education to work in the field. Baccalaureate degrees are available o those attending university or college. These generally take four years to complete. This is known to offer the most flexibility for individuals following this particular career path. Likewise, there is the associates degree available through junior and community colleges after two to three years of schooling. A diploma degree may be available through some nursing schools that are based out of hospitals, although these are becoming less common.

People with a degree in another field might be eligible to enroll in an accelerated program in which they receive their Bachelor of Science or Master of Science in the field in just one or two years. Those looking to be involved with advanced nursing must have a masters or doctoral. Some nurses who have masters degrees opt to obtain their PhDs.

Once an individual becomes a registered nurse, he or she will work in a hospital setting with a NICU. Some of these NICUs require experience in infant care, such as work in a newborn nursery or pediatrics. However, most will hire graduate nurses who have a strong interest in neonatal care. Through their orientation programs, nurses will learn how to provide care to the sick infants. There are numerous education programs that offer introductory information related to this type of health care.

During the learning process, people should expect to do skills labs and work in real-world clinical settings to help with training. Once they have graduated from school with their degree, the training will be provided through the employer, both through classes and preceptor or mentorship programs. This type of formal training is expected to last six weeks to three months, depending on prior experience. Some places require new graduates to have a year or two in maternal or general nursing before they can work in the NICU.

Neonatal nurses education and certification may vary from place to place. Likewise, the tasks and job descriptions for these professionals are also known to differ. These individuals are expected to pay attention to details and be critical thinkers to succeed in their work. They should also be able to communicate complicated skills and concepts with parents of patients, and be patient and compassionate.




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