Improved fertility treatments have resulted
in an increased need for neonatal nurses qualified to look after newborn
infants in need of special attention. Working registered nurses who
have experience caring for newborns or who would like to move into
neonatal care are good candidates to earn an online neonatal nurse
practitioner master's degree.
Master's Degrees for Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
An online neonatal nurse practitioner master's degree program trains
students to meet the critical, immediate care needs of high-risk newborn
infants. Course content covers both the theory and practice of nursing,
as well as issues related to health policy, ethics, cultural diversity
and leadership. Graduates who complete an accredited program may take
the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner certification exam offered by the
National Certification Corporation. Applicants need a bachelor's degree
in nursing and a 3.0 grade point average or better. Some programs also
specify two years of nursing experience caring for critically ill
infants.
Online neonatal master's degree programs are typically a hybrid of
online and traditional instruction. Students must earn a portion of
their credit by working in a clinical setting. However, academic courses
may be completed online. All readings, lectures and other course
materials are accessible through a school's website. Student-instruction
interactions are handled via email, phone and online forum. A master's
degree is typically earned in 2-3 years.
Students need a personal computer and Internet access to participate
in an online program. A number of schools use Blackboard to manage their
educational content.
List of Common Neonatal Nursing Courses
Neonatal nursing master's degree programs are generally based on a
set of core nursing courses. Those related to neonatal care then
constitute a specialty or concentration in the program.
Neonatal Development Course
This course tracks the physiological changes humans undergo from
conception through adolescence. Course content covers normal and
abnormal morphology.
Neonatal Pharmacology Course
Students learn the medications appropriate for newborns and infants,
assess need and manage a course of treatment. Acute and chronic
conditions are among the topics covered.
Health Assessment Course
Students in this course practice and learn the reasoning process used
to arrive at a diagnosis in newborns. Course works covers the most
common maladies and their symptoms.
Neonatal Research and Theory Course
This course presents current thinking about the best approaches to
managing prenatal and postnatal care. Anticipating, preventing and
minimizing health problems receive particular emphasis in the course.
An online master's degree in neonatal nursing qualifies graduates to
provide nursing care to newborns in the neonatal intensive care units
(NICU) of hospitals, nurse-managed clinics and home health service
providers. Those with prior experience as a registered nurse may even be
chosen to manage a neonatal unit. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
projects that employment of registered nurses as a general category will
increase 22% over the years 2008-2018. According to
Payscale.com,
an increase in the number of newborns requiring neonatal care and a
corresponding increase in the number of hospitals with and NICU are
driving demand in the specialty. As of May 2010 neonatal nurse
practitioners with 1-4 years of experience earned a median salary of
$50,601-$80,714.
Nurses who want to transition out of full time patient care duties
and into academic research can pursue a doctoral degree in nursing.
Schools do not offer doctorates in neonatal nursing, but Ph.D.
candidates could make some aspect of neonatal care the subject of their
dissertation. Doctoral programs in nursing are available online.
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