Neonatal Nurse Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a neonatal nurse. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a neonatal nurse.
Who is a Neonatal Nurse?
Neonatal nurses also referred to as Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Nurses, provide care for newborns who experience medical concerns shortly after birth, such as congenital malformations, surgical issues, and preterm. The first month following birth, NICU patients are cared for by neonatal nurses, and they occasionally have long periods for children as old as two.
A registered nurse (RN) who specializes in providing supportive medical care to newborn infants up to four weeks of age is known as a neonatal nurse. Infants born with a range of conditions, including prematurity, birth deformities, infection, heart anomalies, and surgical issues, are cared for by neonatal nurses. The first month of a baby’s life is considered the neonatal era, but certain babies could need continued care.
The duties of a neonatal nurse can include clinical, educational, managerial, and research components. A neonatal nurse can be found in a neonatal intensive care unit, nursery, baby care unit, postnatal ward, emergency center, or even in the neighborhood. One of the most fulfilling nursing experiences is caring for newborn infants, but it may also be challenging.
A specialization of nursing known as neonatal nursing deals with newborn babies who are born with a range of conditions, including prematurity, birth deformities, infection, heart anomalies, and surgical issues. The first month of life is known as the neonatal era, however, young newborns frequently struggle with illness for longer periods. Neonatal nursing often includes providing care for newborns who have issues shortly after birth, but it also includes providing care for newborns who experience ongoing issues because of their prematurity or disease. Babies up to roughly 2 years old may receive care from a small number of neonatal nurses. From the moment of delivery until they are released from the hospital, the majority of neonatal nurses take care of infants.
Neonatal nurses are in charge of caring for infants who require medical attention and informing the parents about the condition of the child. They keep track of the infant’s fluid intake, provide numerous therapies, and do diagnostic exams while also documenting every aspect of their care. In an emergency, they also carry out several life-saving procedures like defibrillation and resuscitation. Neonatal nurses can work in high dependency units, neonatal intensive care units, special care baby units (SCBU), neonatal intensive care units (NICU), and other specialized wards. They collaborate with experts from other fields, such as midwives, dietitians, and pediatricians.
The field of neonatal nursing is quite demanding. It’s a technical job that involves careful monitoring, complex treatment administration, and specialized care for newborns with critical and intricate medical conditions. To overcome these obstacles and sustain a lengthy career, dedication and strong resilience are essential traits.
Moreover, delivering end-of-life care to a sick infant and offering support to the grieving family is one of a neonatal nurse’s most difficult tasks. When dealing with this part of the job, emotional resilience is required.
On the other hand, this career is equally demanding and rewarding, especially when you see changes in a neonate’s health.
Neonatal Nurse Job Description
Below are the neonatal nurse job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a neonatal nurse job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
- Attend deliveries and give newborns immediate care.
- Assess and manage the NICU’s care of newborns.
- Monitor the health of children with birth-related conditions, such as preterm or congenital abnormalities.
- Execute tests, collecting, and analyzing the outcomes.
- Deliver care and give medication by the NICU doctor’s orders.
- Keep a patient history record.
- Operate and maintain the NICU’s equipment.
- Provide new parents with information on how to care for their child, such as nursing.
- Inform parents or legal guardians of the care and treatments being provided for their child.
- Care for newborns as soon as they are born
- Control the NICU’s handling of pediatric patients.
- Consult with parents or guardians about infant aftercare and long-term health management Troubleshoot and maintain NICU equipment
- Enlighten new parents on fundamental aspects of child care, such as nursing, hygiene, and safety
- Execute the exams directed by the obstetrician or nurse practitioner, then assess the outcomes.
- Execute tests, collecting, and analyzing the outcomes.
- Deliver care and give medication by the NICU doctor’s orders.
- Keep a patient history record.
Qualifications
- A license for registered nurses.
- A nursing bachelor of science degree.
- ICU or NICU experience of one year.
- An accreditation in CPR.
- Outstanding verbal and written communication abilities.
- The capacity to help family members, including parents and guardians, emotionally.
- Working familiarity with NICU-specific equipment.
- The capacity for teamwork.
- The capacity to console infants with illness.
Essential Skills
- Administration of Medication: Neonatal nurses use their knowledge of medication administration to make sure they give patients the right dosage of medication. Neonatal nurses must be proficient in reading and interpreting medical records, comprehending the interactions between various medications, and safely administering medications. This involves being aware of how to administer and store medication as well as being aware of any potential side effects or safety measures related to certain medications.
- Patience: When caring for babies and infants, neonatal nurses need to be patient. This is because these patients are frequently quite little, which may result in their needing less equipment or supplies than an adult would. Additionally, neonatal nurses deal with parents who might be concerned about their child’s health. Neonatal nurses that are patient with parents can reassure them that their kids will recover and assist them to understand the treatment options.
- Stress Reduction: To give their patients the best care possible, neonatal nurses must be able to control their stress. Neonatal nurses may perform lengthy shifts and endure a lot of emotional highs and lows as they observe their patients’ growth and improvement in these high-stress situations known as neonatal intensive care units. Neonatal nurses must be able to retain their calm in stressful situations so they can decide on the best course of action for their patients.
- Resuscitation: When necessary, neonatal nurses must be able to perform CPR and other life-saving procedures. Newborn nurses can acquire the necessary skills through continuing education programs or by enrolling in an emergency medical technician program even though neonatal resuscitation is a complicated procedure that necessitates substantial training.
Resuscitation methods are also applied by neonatal nurses during operations like intubation, which entails placing a tube in a patient’s airway to assist with breathing.
- Communication: The capacity for clear and succinct information transfer is referred to as communication. The ability to communicate with patients, other medical professionals, and family members is a requirement for neonatal nurses. This entails outlining treatment strategies, responding to inquiries regarding a patient’s health, and offering emotional support.
Communication abilities are crucial for effectively communicating information to patients and their families. To help patients and their families make educated decisions about their care, neonatal nurses, for instance, frequently clarify complicated medical terminology to patients and their families.
- Empathy: The capacity to comprehend and experience another person’s feelings is known as empathy. Since they may have to console parents whose child has a significant medical condition or who encountered issues during pregnancy, neonatal nurses frequently utilize empathy when engaging with patients. Neonatal nurses may find it easier to care for their patients and motivate them to follow treatment regimens if they can empathize with them on an emotional level.
- IV Treatment: IV treatment is frequently used by neonatal nurses to provide babies with fluids and drugs. Knowing the various pieces of equipment, how to set up an IV bag, and where to place the needle in a patient’s vein are all necessary information for this ability. Additionally, neonatal nurses should be aware of when to employ this treatment strategy and what safety measures to follow before starting an IV.
- Delivery and Labor: Neonatal nurses must be skilled in labor and delivery as they may be in charge of supervising the birthing process. This entails keeping an eye on the mother’s health during her pregnancy, giving advice on how to care for babies, and helping with labor and delivery if required. When caring for pregnant patients who run the risk of preterm birth or other difficulties, neonatal nurses also employ their knowledge of labor and delivery techniques.
- Interpersonal Competence: Working with patients and their families, other medical professionals and hospital personnel are just a few of the different groups that neonatal nurses must be able to communicate with. To deliver the greatest care possible, they must also be able to communicate clearly with these people. This requires the ability to pay attention to others’ worries and effectively explain treatment alternatives or procedures.
- Pediatrics: Neonatal nurses frequently work with children who have a range of health conditions, so they must be well-versed in pediatric medicine. The ability to evaluate and treat patients of all ages is necessary for pediatric care, so neonatal nurses must have a solid foundation in pediatrics before working in this setting. They can treat their patients well and keep them safe with the use of this skill set.
- Observation of Details: When caring for their patients, neonatal nurses need to be able to pay meticulous attention to detail. This is because neonatal care involves interacting with infants who are still forming and may have particular requirements that call for close monitoring. For instance, a neonatal nurse may observe that an infant’s oxygen levels are decreasing while they are sleeping and change the oxygen flow as necessary to maintain the baby’s health.
- Patient Evaluation: The conditions and needs of their patients must be evaluated by neonatal nurses. The proper questions must be asked, the responses carefully considered, and the patient’s body language and other physical indicators must be observed. For instance, to identify any potential health issues that require treatment, a neonatal nurse may inquire about a mother’s child’s eating practices, sleeping patterns, and development milestones.
How to Become a Neonatal Nurse
- Complete a registered nursing program: Obtaining a nursing degree from an accredited nursing institution that has been given the go-ahead by your state’s nursing board is the first step in becoming a NICU nurse. Coursework like this is often included in nursing programs:
- biology and anatomy
- Biology
- Chemistry\Psychology
- Microbiology
- Statistics
- Become an RN: Some students opt to complete an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (ADN) before completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). An ADN is a two-year nursing degree. ADNs are frequently employed by hospitals, however, others exclusively employ RNs with a BSN.
The National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses must be passed after completing a nursing program (NCLEX-RN). You will then have the necessary credentials to work as an RN. After earning an ADN or BSN, you can take this exam.
- Acquire clinical expertise: You can start acquiring clinical experience once you are an RN. You will likely need at least two years of clinical experience in neonatal care if you are a recent graduate or a nurse looking to transfer into the NICU. Your main areas of focus should be:
- birth and labor
- Pediatrics
- Mother/Baby (Maternal-Child)
Some hospitals immediately place recent graduates who lack experience in the NICU. Typically, they provide fellowships to people who want to work in the NICU.
- Gain certification: NICU nurses may want to pursue certifications for professional progression and skill development in addition to being registered nurses and gaining clinical experience. Neonatal Resuscitation Program certification is one (NRP). Before starting employment as a NICU nurse or during the first few months, the NRP is often required.
NRP instructs NICU nurses on how to care for and assist a newborn infant who isn’t performing well.
- Look for open positions: When you have the training and experience necessary to work as a NICU nurse, you are prepared to look for positions and submit applications. On Indeed.com, you can begin by looking out for open NICU nursing employment in your neighborhood.
Before writing your resume, it’s crucial to research the NICU nurse positions you’re interested in. This will allow you to tailor your resume to the position.
- Build a resume: Utilize the job descriptions from the job ads to develop a resume that highlights your best qualifications for that particular NICU role after you have located the NICU nursing opportunities you are interested in applying for. Once you have finished writing your resume, you can go back to the job description and apply online.
- Choose an advanced degree to pursue: Consider earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) if you’re a NICU nurse who wants to advance your profession. Many NICU nursing programs offer two-year Advanced Practice NICU Nursing programs that lead to MSN degrees. Because of their extensive education and training, NICU NPs are given more latitude in the kind of care and treatment they are authorized to give to babies.
Where to work as a Neonatal Nurse
- Hospitals
Neonatal Nurse Salary Scale
In the USA, the typical neonatal nurse earns $83,181 a year or $42.66 per hour. Most experienced workers earn up to $132,575 per year, while entry-level roles start at $44,840.
In the UK, the average yearly salary for a neonatal nurse is £28,670, or roughly £1,920 net. In the UK, a Neonatal Nurse can expect to make an annual starting salary of about £22,100 gross. In the UK, a Neonatal Nurse’s greatest annual gross pay might total and exceed £50,000.