Career Spotlight: Neonatal Nurse
Nurses are like heroes of the medical world, constantly offering compassion and expert care to patients in times of need. A nurse’s work is demanding and challenging, and one area that can be as rewarding as it is demanding is neonatal care. Neonatal nurses tend to the tiniest patients: the newborns who arrive too soon, too small, or with critical conditions. Let’s explore what makes this nursing field so unique.
What Does a Neonatal Nurse Do?
Neonatal nurses specialize in newborn care. It’s important to note that some neonatal nurses care for healthy infants in well-baby units, while others, known as NICU nurses, who work in the neonatal intensive care unit, care for infants with medical problems. Work environments are divided into four levels. Let’s break them down:
- Level I Well-Baby Unit: This unit is a nursery in a hospital where newborns at 35–37 weeks’ gestation receive routine care immediately after birth. Infants born at less than 35 weeks’ gestation are cared for until they can be transferred to a different location. Pediatricians, family physicians, and nurse practitioners usually work in these units.
- Level II NICU: Neonatologists, neonatal nurses, and Level I health care providers work on Level II units to care for moderately ill infants born at 32 weeks’ gestation or older who need close monitoring of vital signs and weight and administration of IV fluids and medications.
- Level III NICU: Level III units provide sustained life support and comprehensive care for infants born at gestational ages and weights with critical illnesses. Pediatric practitioners, neonatologists, nurse practitioners, neonatal nurses, pediatric surgeons, pediatric anesthesiologists, and other providers with specialties work in this unit.
- Level IV NICU: This regional NICU unit is the highest level of neonatal care and has the capacities of all other units as well as the capabilities to care for newborns needing major surgery or procedures for congenital heart defects and cardiopulmonary failure. These units can also provide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
What Skills Do Nurses Need in This Specialty?
Nurses in this critical specialty must possess certain traits and skills to care for such small and delicate patients and their families. Some of these traits include:
- Ability to provide family support
- Compassion
- Critical thinking
- Interpersonal skills
- Ability to teach and provide knowledge
- Empathy and the ability to nurture
- Effective communication skills
How Much Do These Nurses Make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2023, registered nurses made a median annual salary of $86,070, and the profession is expected to grow 6% from 2023-2033. For RNs who go on to become neonatal nurse practitioners, as of October 2024, those nurses commanded a median annual advertised salary of $144,128, according to Lightcast. That means you have a chance for significant financial growth if you make a career of this nursing specialty.
Do All Neonatal Nurses Work in the NICU?
Not all neonatal nurses work in the NICU. Neonatal nurses work with newborns; some are responsible for healthy infants, whereas others care for infants with medical complications. The specific nurses who care for infants who need critical care are the ones who work in the NICU.
What Is It Like to Work in the NICU?
Working in the NICU is a fast-paced environment where every moment matters, requiring nurses to manage critical equipment and monitor subtle changes in the most fragile patients. Every detail, from adjusting oxygen levels to offering kangaroo care, plays a vital role in a baby’s healing journey. These nurses also serve as a lifeline for families, providing education, comfort, and emotional support. Nurses collaborate with specialists and continuously learn to adapt to new technologies to give each baby the best chance at life.
Nurses in this specialty find deep purpose in their work, knowing they play a pivotal role in protecting and nurturing vulnerable lives. If working in newborn care is your calling, consider earning your bachelor’s degree in nursing and starting on your career path to a rewarding career as a neonatal nurse.
