Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) Career
What Do You Do in This Career?
Neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) and pediatric advanced practice nurses support not only the child, but the entire family in creating a healthy environment. Much of the focus is on preventive care and educating families on how to keep everyone in good health by preventing injuries and illness. Neonatal nurses specialize in the care of newborn babies, often premature or sick newborns. Some work exclusively with seriously ill newborns in neonatal intensive care units (NICU).
Diligence and the ability to work on a team are important for this position, as well as excellent interpersonal skills for working closely with parents, doctors, and other nurses. Neonatal nurses work in many settings: hospitals, intensive care units, or pediatrics offices. Within neonatal care, specialties include caring for healthy infants, caring for premature and sick babies, and working in the NICU with seriously ill infants, all of which require increasing levels of education.
Salary and Career Information
- Salary: Depending on location, education level, experience, and work setting, NNPs can expect to earn between $39,889 and $103,564.
- NNP Requirements: Requirements for practicing as an NP include being a licensed registered nurse (RN), earning a master’s degree or higher, and passing the necessary certification exam(s). To be an NNP your coursework and exams will be specialized to this field. For NPs interested in specializing in neonatal care, there is additional coursework they can take as well as passing the required exams.
- Work Environment: NNPs can work in a variety of settings: hospitals, clinics, urgent care centers, emergency rooms, intensive care units, physicians’ offices, and more, depending on the level of care they provide.
What Kind of Coursework Can You Expect in This Program?
Advanced practice neonatal nursing programs are usually two years long and lead to a master of science degree. APNNs and NNPs are not only trained to give care, provide treatment, order X-rays of broken bones and prescribe medications to children; they are also trained to be culturally sensitive. Some programs require the equivalent of one year of full-time practice experience as a registered nurse (RN) caring for critically ill newborns, infants, or children in acute care. All applicants to neonatal nurse practitioner programs should already have their RN, or be enrolled in a dual degree program for RNs to NPs, and have an extensive childcare background.
Earn an Online Nurse Practitioner Degree
Online nurse practitioner programs have grown in popularity in recent years as more accredited schools have begun offering online alternatives to these degrees. Combining flexibility with the lack of campus visitation required these programs are ideal for working professionals. By clicking on links below, you can request information from each school about its tuition, classes, and programs.
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Georgetown University — Stationed out of Washington DC, Georgetown University is a cultural and social hub and is one of the oldest schools in the nation. The school has two online nursing programs available, an MSN in Family Nursing and an MSN in Midwifery and Women's Health. Georgetown is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. |
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Kaplan University — Kaplan University's online presence is almost unmatched, offering over 170 online degrees and programs, including MSN in Nurse Administration, MSN in Nurse Education, and MSN in Nurse Informatics. However, there are also 70 campuses across the country for those interested in a more traditional education. Kaplan is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. |
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University of Phoenix — While it may not be surprising that the University of Phoenix is based in Phoenix, AZ, the school does have over 200 additional locations around the country. Phoenix has more than 200 online programs available, with nursing degrees in Health Education, Health Informatics, and a general track. Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. |
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American Sentinel University — American Sentinel University is an online college focused on technology, business, and healthcare. The school offers several nursing programs like the RN to MSN bridge programs or the MSN in Nursing Informatics. All of these programs require no campus visitation and can be completed online entirely. ASU has an accreditation by the Distance Education and Training Council. |
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Capella University — Based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Capella University is an online school with over 37000 current students across the nation. Its online programs like MSN in Nurse Educator (Bridge option also available) have one-to-one tutoring, accelerated study, and low student to teacher ratios. Capella holds several accreditations, including The Higher Learning Commission and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. |
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