Career As A Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

A neonatal nurse practitioner handles newborn babies who have a low weight, are weak or who have suffered and need intensive care. They are responsible for supplying care for these babies all around the clock. In addition to taking care of infants, they are also responsible for making sure that new mothers know how to care for their infants. However, these nurses are also responsible for a staff of nurses who look to them for guidance. These nurses normally work in hospital neonatal intensive care units. Most of these units are usually in larger hospitals or healthcare facilities.



Working as a nurse practitioner involves using a lot of specialized skill. For instance, when an infant cries, she has to know how to fix the problem. Unfortuntely, a baby is still young and cannot describe what is bothering him. The nurse has to figure out what the problem is and take of it. This is why a nurse practitioner has special skills of diagnosing problems. These skills are acquired from a combination of experience and formal education.



Contrary to belief, it does not take that much more to become a neonatal nurse practitioner. If you are already a registered nurse who has worked with infants, all you would need to do is continue on and get your master's degree. This is the only difference between a neonatal nurse and a neonatal nurse practitioner. But do the research and find out what other states are doing in turns of qualifications. Usually a majorityof states will need to see that you have an advanced degree in nursing, such as a master's degree. There are others that require that you have had a certain amount of experience.



Now that you have your certification, how much money can you expect to make? Neonatal nurse practitioners earn anywhere in the range of 39k to 112k per year. The median salary is said to be around 80k. That is not chump change. So, if you are a RN looking for a promotion, then get your master's degree and enter a neonatal nurse practitioner program. It is said that the opportunities for this profession will rise by more than 22% over the next couple of years.



For anyone who loves taking care of babies, then you might be interested in the neonatal nursing profession. You will take care of both infants and their mothers. Simply put, a neonatal nurse practitioner has more education than other neonatal nurses. Just like with the average position, the more education you have the higher your position will be. The same principle applies to neonatal nurses. The neonatal nurse practitioner, is the lead nurse in the department and is responsible for not only the infants and new mothers, but also for the effectiveness of her department. This includes training the other nurses and making sure that their duties are carried out as well.



In conclusion, becoming a neonatal nurse practitioner is not that difficult to do if you are already a registered nurse who holds a bachelor's degree. You can obtain on the job training and hands on experience as the years progress.