Jorge Said:

RN specialized in neonatal, newborn care, or newborn nursery nurse information needed?

We Answered:

that's GREAT! newborn nursing is a calling, not everyone can do it. you either love it or hate it. remember that you will have to take care of alot of sick babies, it's not all cuddles and feeding. you don't really need anything extra in high school, you will have to take everything in college, all of your anatomy, physiology, microbiology, plus all your nursing courses. you can do it in 2 years if you go to a community college. it will be HARD so i would recommend taking 2 1/2 or 3 years. (the classes are extremely involved with lots and lots of homework) you can also do it much more expensively at a 4 year college where they "promise you a job"... well, there is a nursing shortage so you are guaranteed a job. Remember that no matter WHERE you go to school, everyone takes the same board exam and gets the same RN license. you can go for your Bachelor's degree if you want, but i have never found a use for it. plus they tend to want to put you in management positions and teaching so that means good-bye patient care (you do NOT want to be a manager).

i have been a neonatal nurse for years, and i love it and would never want to work in another field.
if you really truly want that field, get into an OB job as a nurse's aid. then you will have your foot in the door and experience on the floor. plus hospitals like to hire within.

good luck!! i wish you the best

Pauline Said:

What's the difference between a Neonatal nurse, and a Labor & Delivery nurse?

We Answered:

Hi. I am a Neonatal ICU Nurse. This means working with critically ill newborn babies. Prematurity, birth defects, and other disorders can land an infant in the NICU. A L&D Nurse typically cares only for a pregnant woman. Usually, these mothers-to-be are in labor, but sometimes they are on "bedrest" to prevent labor from occurring too early.

The biggest difference is babies versus adults. While you do your rotations in nursing school, you will learn enough about your personality & preference to know which you prefer. The NICU is highly specialized and an ICU atmosphere. It is high intensity, high stress, but very rewarding. The L&D is often fast-paced and high stress also, but not as technically intense.

One other option, that you didn't mention, is Nursery/Postpartum. Some hospitals separate these two; others don't. A nursery nurse cares for the healthy babies that did not go to a NICU. She does the initial assessments/baths, weights, shots, etc, and helps new moms breastfeed. A Postpartum nurse cares for women who have just given birth. As I mentioned, this job is sometimes combined in hospitals where you, as the nurse, would care for 3-5 women and their corresponding babies. Our hospital separates these out, so again it would be the adults versus babies decision.

To become an RN, you typically can go through a two-year Associates program at a local community college (and receive your ADN - Associates Degree in Nursing), or go through a 4-yr program at an University (to receive a BSN - Bachelor's Degree in Nursing). If you do not already have a Bachelor in something, I would recommend this route as many states are requiring or preferring this degree.

Yearly salary is too hard to say. Depends on your location, # of years experience, and even what department you are in. Even from one city to the next here in TX, there is a huge difference in pay. It is hourly pay, so find a friend that is a nurse near you and ask them what they get. :-)

Hope that all helps!!
Melanie

Dawn Said:

Neonatal Nurse?

We Answered:

In Nursing School you will do plenty of clinical work in Pediatrics. While you are there you can mention to the nurses that you are interested in Neonatal, and see if you can spend time with those nurses during your clinical times.

Most Neonatal nurses have experience in ICU/CCU Nursing, with extra training in Pediatric Intensive Care (PICU)/Pediatric Life Support (PALS) among other training.

With most fields of nursing, it boils down to training. If you want to do neonatal, you will have to go through the ropes and get some general Med-Surg experience under your belt for a while...then specialize.

Check this out:
http://www.nann.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?…
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Clayton Said:

Education information about being a neonatal nurse?

We Answered:

Of course you can be hired in a NICU with an Associates. You can be hired in Labor and Delivery, Emergency, Surgery/OR, Critical Care, etc with an Associates. When it comes to primary care nursing, an RN is an RN, whether they have an Associates, a BSN, or a 3-year Diploma from one of the last lingering hospital-based schools of nursing.

Your best bet is to get a Patient Care Tech or even a unit secretary position in the NICU (or at least Postpartum unit) of a hospital that you want to work in as a NICU RN. That way, you've "got your foot in the door" and that greatly increases your chances of being hired as a new grad/new RN for Mother/Baby. Unless it's specifically a Children's Specialty hospital, most facilities would like a year of Postpartum before orienting you to NICU. University-based Children's hospitals are known to hire new grads and put them through a "nursing residency" for specialty areas such as NICU.

Best wishes in your career goals.

Alfred Said:

If I don't get a BSN Degree about how many years of schooling will it take to become a neonatal nurse?

We Answered:

I received my neonatal training while "on the job". I was not a new grad at the time, but had been cross-trained as a float nurse to the unit. Upon taking a position in the unit, I was in a training program under a precepting RN for approx. 8 weeks (short time since I already had some experience). The NICU where I now work gives new employees classes for 6 weeks taught by our higher-level RN's and RT's and our neonatologists before then bringing them into the unit with a preceptor for approximately 3 months of clinical experience.

Mario Said:

What is it like being a neonatal nurse?

We Answered:

Get your BSN.....then you can specialize in any field you choose.....you do not need to get your foot in the door, there is a huge RN shortage. Im an RN with 12 yrs experience, never worked in pediatrics or neonates. As an RN youre gunna be very busy and stressed out. Youll work weekends and holidays and unsociable shifts. It can be a wonderfully rewarding career on many levels. I live in a large west coast city and last year made over $100,000 as a floor nurse.
Hope this helps.