Neonatal nurses care for newborns during their first 28 days of life. Stage 2 neonatal nurses, most commonly referred to as Level II neonatal nurses, care for premature babies or those born with an illness. Nurses working in a Level II nursery provide specialized care such as administering oxygen or intravenous therapy.
Neonatal nurses must have registered nurse, or RN, status, and can qualify with either an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing from a community college or four-year university. Some employers hire only RNs with bachelor's degrees. While there's not an undergraduate degree program specifically for neonatal nursing, students can take elective courses in pediatric or neonatal nursing, in addition to internships at neonatal units. Some universities also offer graduate degree programs in neonatal nursing. Students usually need experience in neonatal nursing to be accepted into these programs.
Neonatal nurses must also pass the National Council Licensure Exam, or NCLEX-RN, which qualifies them to work as registered nurses. They must also be trained in neonatal resuscitation and fetal monitoring, with some hospitals requiring them to have certification in neonatal intensive care. While some hospitals employ recent graduates, many require Level II neonatal nurses to have several years of experience. They often prefer prospective neonatal nurses to have experience working with adult patients, in either a general care setting or intensive care.
Where They Work
Neonatal nurses work primarily in hospitals, because the highly specialized care they provide is typically not offered in settings such as community clinics or private physician offices. They work everywhere from small hospitals in rural areas to large facilities in major cities, though Level II nurseries are more commonly at larger hospitals, because specialized equipment is needed to care for premature and ill newborns. While some nurses "float" between departments, helping out where they're needed most, neonatal nurses work exclusively in the neonatal units.
Neonatal nurses working in Level II nurseries provide basic care such as changing diapers, but must also closely monitor the condition of newborns, regularly taking their temperatures, measuring their pulses and heart rates and keeping an eye on other vital signs. They provide the extra care these newborns need to survive, which could include giving them oxygen or administering feedings through a feeding tube. If a newborn goes into a crisis, neonatal nurses must provide emergency care. They must also alert the baby's doctor of any change in condition, in addition to keeping detailed records that the doctor or other nurses can refer to.
Who They Work With
Level II neonatal nurses don't work as closely with new mothers or family members as other nurses in the obstetrics field do. Postpartum nurses, for example, care for new mothers and often educate them on breast-feeding and other aspects of newborn care, but neonatal nurses have far less contact with the baby's parents. Instead, they spend their time in the nursery providing the constant and intensive care sick newborns require. They consult with the baby's doctor and with other nurses, but also provide parents with information on their child's condition and answer questions when they visit the baby in the nursery.
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