My career, My life, My FUTURE By: Megan McCoy

What I want to do! Neo-Natal nurses focus on new born babies. Whether they be premature or born right on time, these nurses handle it all. Neonatal nurses help make sure babies are healthy and are taken care of from birth til’ they leave the hospital.

Different levels of Neonatal nursing Level I care for healthy infants. The demand for this level of neonatal nursing is decreasing because mothers and newborn babies are now more likely to stay in the same room together after birth. Level II nurses are much more in demand because premature and sick babies need constant attention. Level III nurses have the most intensive responsibilities, working in the NICU and monitoring seriously ill or premature infants around the clock. They check ventilators and incubators, make sure babies are responding well, and teach parents how to care for their infants properly.

What does it take to be a Neonatal nurse? Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation, as any painter's or sculptor's work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, compared with having to do with the living body, the temple of God's spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts: I had almost said, the finest of Fine Arts. ~Florence Nightingale~

Now What it really takes to be a neonatal nurse.. To be a neonatal nurse you must have a bachelors degree in nursing Then your going to need a Master degree in nursing Must be certified in Neonatal Resuscitation and/or Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing.

Where Can I Go To school Any school that had a bachelor nursing program Schools in Kentucky – University of Kentucky –U–University of Louisville –M–Morehead State University –G–Georgetown College –M–Midway college

Is there anything more special than a new life? A new baby is like the beginning of all things, hope, a dream of possibilities

Salary Neonatal nurses make the median salary for a neonatal nurse in the United States is $80,414. The middle 50 percent earned between $73,840 and $87,008. Nurse practitioners typically make about $20,000 more per year in base salary than RNs. Although some neonatal nurses can earn up to $190,000 a year depending on Country and Job responcibilities.

What career options will I have? Neo natal nurses find further opportunities for career advancement in the role of a nurse manager, nurse educator, clinical nurse specialist, or developmental care specialist. Nurse managers provide leadership for the staffing and administration of the NICU, ensuring that the environment and resources needed for high-quality patient care are available. Nurse educators and clinical nurse specialists are advanced practice nurses who provide educational programs and support to both nursing staff and ancillary staff so that they provide care that is up-to-date and based on the best available evidence. Clinical nurse specialists may provide direct patient care at the bedside and give support to staff who are learning clinical skills. Developmental care specialists are nurses who have studied the developmental care of sick and preterm infants. They provide direct care and assist their colleagues in meeting the developmental needs of these special babies. Other nurses may work in developmental follow-up, in research, or with specialized populations of infants.

Job outlook According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing employment across the board was expected to increase by 22% from ( Neonatal nurses, also called neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs), can work in clinics, in hospitals or as consultants.