Finding a job as a neonatal nurse shouldn’t be difficult. You can download the free resume example we designed for neonatal nurses, apply for nurse job postings, and do neonatal nurse practitioner jobs.
Neonatal Nurse Resume Example 2023 Word / Docx / PDF
| Format: | Word (Microsoft) & PDF |
| Size: | 138.65 KB |
| Customizable: | Yes |
Neonatal Nurse Job Description
Neonatal nursing is a sub-specialty of nursing. Neonatal nursing requires a high level of skill, dedication, and emotional strength because nurses care for newborns with a wide variety of problems, including premature birth defects, infections, cardiac malformations, and surgical problems. Neonatal nurses are an important part of the neonatal care team and need to know basic neonatal resuscitation, be able to control a newborn’s temperature, and know how to initiate cardiopulmonary and pulse oximetry monitoring. Most newborn nurses care for infants from birth until they are discharged from the hospital.
What Does a Neonatal Nurse Do? What are their Duties and Responsibilities?
The neonatal nurse‘s responsibilities typically include providing vital nutrients to newborns, changing feeding tubes, administering medication, monitoring vital signs, and intubating. When the lungs of premature and sick newborns are not fully developed, they must ensure that the babies are breathing properly and are mature. To facilitate treatment plans and exams, neonatal nurses collaborate closely with senior nurses and doctors. Neonatal nurses may also collaborate with speech-language pathologists, who are experts in the evaluation and treatment of preterm infant feeding, swallowing, and communication.
The patient communicates with their families on a regular basis. As a result, after the baby is discharged from the hospital, the parent or relative must be educated about the baby’s condition and care instructions must be prepared. If neonatal nurses are unable to answer a parent’s question, they can refer them to another authorized healthcare professional.
Neonatal Nurse Qualifications and Requirements
The entry-level requirements for neonatal nurses vary by the healthcare institution. Neonatal nurses are Registered (RNS) nurses and must have an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. A midwifery qualification may also be required in some countries or institutions. Some institutions may accept recent graduate registered nurses who have passed the NCLEX exam; others may require additional experience in adult health or medical/surgical nursing.
Postgraduate degrees in neonatal nursing, such as the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and several doctorates, are available in some countries. A master’s degree may be required of a nurse practitioner. Before enrolling in graduate school, the National Association of Neonatal Nurses advises two years of NICU experience.
Employers, as well as local licensing or certification authorities, may impose continuing education obligations on registered nurses.
Although neonatal nurses must complete a neonatal resuscitation program, being an RN in the NICU is not required. Some units prefer new graduates who have not worked in other units to undergo specialized training, while others prefer more experienced nurses.
In addition to their general nursing education, ICU nurses undergo intensive palliative and practical training to give highly specialized care to critically sick patients.
Respiratory support, surgical care, management of acute patients requiring resuscitation, treatment of hypothermia for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or advanced interventions such as neonatal encephalopathy procedures are all included in the management of high-risk medications, as well as chronic care management or the following: Premature newborns require high-acuity care, such as intolerance, phototherapy, and antibiotic treatment.
What is the Average Neonatal Nurse Salary 2023 in the United States?
The average Neonatal Nurse Salary in the United States is $105,987 per year, $47.06 per hour.