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The Basics On Neonatal Nurses Education

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

By Elena McDowell


Neonatal nursing refers to a specialty in the nursing field in which professionals work specifically with newborns infants that have a range of medical problems. The first month of life is considered the neonatal period. Neonatal nurses education requirements are expected to vary based on the place of practice.

Those who hope to take this position on as a full-time career have to receive proper training. This is because their job is to take care of young babies who are ill. Before beginning neonatal studies, students are expected to receive their undergraduate education and 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.

Different routes can be taken to obtain proper education and certification to practice in this field. A baccalaureate degree is available to those who attend an accredited college or university and complete their four years of schooling. This is known to provide the most flexibility for those on this career path. Furthermore, there is the associates degree that is available to those who attend junior and community college, following two to three years of study. A diploma degree may be available through a hospital-based nursing school, but these types of programs are slowly being phased out.

Those who have a degree in a different field may be able to take an accelerated program in which they obtain a BSN, Bachelor of Science in nursing, or a MSN, Master of Science in nursing in one to two years. Individuals who are interested in advanced nursing must obtain a doctoral or masters. There are some nurses with masters degrees who choose to get a PhD.

Once an individual has been registered, her or she will begin work with the NICU. Many of these programs require people to have experience, of some degree, in infant care. However, there are numerous facilities that will hire graduate nurses who have major interest in this type of care. Orientation programs are designed to give nurses all the knowledge and skill training they need to treat their ill patients. There are many programs that provide basic info related to this kind of care.

In the process of learning, people will do training via real-world clinicals and skills labs. The training will be made available through the employer after a student has graduated with a degree. There are many mentorship or preceptor programs and classes available through employers. This kind of formal training may last for up to three months, depending on past experience. Some facilities require the new graduates to have at least one to two years in general or maternal nursing before going into the NICU.

Certification and neonatal nurses education will vary by place. Furthermore, the job descriptions and tasks of these professionals will also range. Most of these nurses should be critical thinkers who pay attention to details. They should have compassion, patience and the ability to communicate complicated concepts and skills to parents of the infant patients.




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