Have you ever seen what a 28-day old baby looks like when it’s under intensive care? They are so fragile and need the safe environment of the intensive care unit to keep germs, bacteria and viruses from attacking their yet-to-be developed immune system. A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) protects fragile newborns from threats to their immune system and nurtures their healing and growth.
Recent studies show that over half a million babies are born prematurely each year. Without specialized medical care, these babies are at risk of future health problems or even death. Neonatal nurses care for these babies and their families during some very tense and frightening moments and help to nurture them until they are ready to go home.
If you like newborn babies and have a desire to nurse them into strong healthy babies, then you might want to explore NICU nursing careers and become a neonatal nurse.
Neonatal Nursing Job Description and Duties
The neonatal nurse job description is unfamiliar to many. Although this might not be a familiar career among nursing students, NICU careers are slowly picking up steam. A NICU nurse is someone who takes care of newborn babies from the time they are born until they are 28 days old, reach a certain weight or original due date. Some NICU nurses get very attached to their little patients and this makes it a very rewarding career. There are basically three areas of concentration for a NICU nurse:
- Level 1 is dedicated to the care of healthy newborn babies.
- Level 2 is solely for preemies or newborns that get sick.
- Level 3 is for newborn babies who need critical care and attention.
Your main priorities as a NICU nurse are the baby and the baby’s mother. While you care for preemies, you will also be caring for the families. You may teach mom and dad how to handle their new little one, such as kangaroo care (mom holds baby to her naked skin for bonding), and you may give emotional support to the family as well.
Job duties include monitoring the newborns heart, respiration, and temperature and oxygen levels. You will be in charge of monitoring all of the machines that balance the baby's body processes such as ventilator, oxygen, fluids and warming table. You will also feed and give the baby medications through tubes that go through the nose into the stomach. You will also work very closely with the physicians and other members of the NICU support team.
Education and Training for NCIU Nurses
In high school, you will want to take science and math based courses prior to graduation. This will ensure that you have a good basic education for nursing school. It is also a good idea to understand babies and their behaviors such as being able to soothe a crying infant, diaper changing and feeding. Babysitting is a good place to start learning about small babies. After graduation it is time to start looking for a good nursing program and fulfill the following requirements:
- Enroll and finish an accredited registered nursing program. Registered nursing can be finished in a two to four year nursing program either as an Associate or a Baccalaureate in Nursing.
- Take the NCLEX-RN. After graduation from nursing school, you will need to take your state board exams to receive your nursing license. This is the National Council Licensing Examination-Registered Nurse. After you apply to the licensing board in your state and complete fingerprinting and background checking and paid the required fees, the board will send you a date for your testing appointment. When you pass, you will receive an Interim Permit to work until your license arrives in the mail.
- Make sure you have Acute Care, and ER or ICU experience. With premature babies, their minute to minute condition can change from good to critical at any time. Knowing how to handle these situations will move things in your favor when looking to fill a position in a neonatal intensive care unit.
- Work toward a two year hands-on nurse training in neonatal care. This is recommended by the National Association of Neonatal Nurses to solidify your practice as a NICU nurse.
- Focus your continuing education in neonatal care and pediatrics. After you receive your nursing license you will be required to take continuing education courses. Focus these on neonatal care and pediatrics to help you understand current advances in this field.
Job Opportunities for NICU Nurses
NICU nurses can find work in a local hospital, children’s specialty hospital or hospital in a major city that has higher NICU levels. Smaller local hospitals usually stabilize the newborn in a Level 1 or Level 2 nursery and then send more critical babies out to hospitals with higher levels of care. You can even be a part of a hospital transport team that rides in the ground or air ambulance with the babies. These nurses travel to hospitals where preemies are born, stabilize them, give needed medications and/or hook them up to life support equipment and monitor their care during transport to a larger hospital.
Skills Needed for NICU Nurses
In order to be a NICU nurse, you’ll need certain skills in addition to those learned during your education and training. You should:
- Have excellent people skills
- Have empathy with patients and the family
- Have a clear and intelligent understanding of the needs of newborns
- Have technical competence
- Work well with a team
- Have excellent and quick critical thinking skills
- Be able to work under pressure
Salary and Job Outlook for NICU Nurses
The average starting salary for neonatal nurses is about $50,000 and can increase up to $20,000 over a 20 year time span. That averages raises of a hefty $1,000 per annual review. The job outlook for this nursing position is expected to increase until the year 2014 due to an increase in fertility treatments and multiple and premature births.
Neonatal nursing is an advanced nursing field caring for critically ill, premature and low-birth weight newborns. You will have the fulfilling opportunity to care for these newborns and their families on their journey to getting better, getting bigger and going home. The pay scale and job growth is excellent for this nursing career. If you love newborns, have the ability to work with compassion, empathy, excellent critical thinking skills, and be a strong team player, then NICU nursing is the career for you.