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Are Neonatal Careers For You? 4 Reasons To Go Into This Nursing Subspecialty

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Neonatal careers include sub-specialties that focus on helping newborn babies. Not only do neonatal professionals help newborns, but they help the most fragile of babies. Neonatology careers include a variety of positions, including nursing. If you're considering a career in this specialized area, check out a few reasons why this field may be the perfect fit for you.

You want to work with infants and their families.

Yes, you'll care for newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit. But, you'll also help their families as well. While you won't provide direct medical care to the parents, you may help by offering emotional support and patient education. This might include talking new parents through their child's medical procedure, explaining post-hospital care, or helping mom and dad to feed their baby.

You enjoy learning.

Every day brings something different in neonatal nursing. That provides the opportunity for you to learn and grow as a healthcare professional. But that's not all when it comes to learning and education. Working in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) typically requires at least a bachelor's degree in nursing. If you want to go into advanced practice as a neonatal clinical nurse specialist (NCNS) or neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP), you'll need a graduate degree, such as a doctor of nursing practice (DNP). Keep in mind, a DNP is not the same thing as an MD (medical doctor). It is a PhD level graduate degree.

You are looking for a variety of options.

Aside from working as a NCNC or NNP, you'll find that there are several other options in the neonatal nursing world. This includes providing leadership and administrative oversight as a nurse manager or helping sick/recovering infants meet their developmental needs as a developmental care specialist. Of course, there are also plenty of positions as staff nurses. The staff nurse is a critical part of the nursing care team and provides day-to-day care for fragile new babies.

You want a non-traditional schedule.

Neonatal careers, such as nursing, often require professionals to work a non-traditional schedule. This may mean that you work 12-hour shifts three to four days a week or night-time hours. The flexibility that this offers may fit well with your scheduling needs. If you have children at home to care for, have an ageing parent to help out, or are going back to school to further your education, the ability to be home (or in class) during the Monday through Friday 9 to 5 time is a welcome benefit of working in this field.

Neonatal nurses provide critical care to the littlest of patients. Whether you're helping a newborn who has just had surgery to recover, caring for a premature baby, or helping a scared parent to better understand what is happening to her child, you're making a difference in someone's life. 

For more information, contact local professionals like Kidz Medical Services.


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