How to become a neonatal nurse practitioner

One of the great aspects of working in nursing is that there are so many specialisms you can move into as your career progresses. For example, you could work in oncology helping patients with cancer, focus on trauma care, or move into a more indirect role such as policy or informatics. Alternatively, if you’re passionate about caring for the very youngest members of society, then working as a neonatal nurse practitioner might be ideal for you.

This post will go into the role of a neonatal nurse practitioner in more detail and highlight knowledge and skills you’ll need in order to excel in the job. If you are excited by the prospect, check out the information at the end about how to get started in this vital and rewarding career.

The role of a neonatal nurse practitioner

A neonatal nurse practitioner, sometimes referred to as an NNP, is a member of the healthcare team responsible for looking after newborn babies. It’s a highly skilled role, requiring greater training than an ordinary neonatal nurse. Consequently, the position involves taking on more advanced tasks and duties, and also comes with more autonomy and a higher salary to match. As an NNP, you will work with premature babies and infants who need specialist treatment and care. This could involve looking after newborns with a variety of health problems such as genetic disorders, low birth weight, infections, congenital heart abnormalities or respiratory difficulties. 

Most NNPs work in neonatal intensive care units in public and private hospitals, but some are employed at smaller medical surgeries, rural care facilities, private practices, or even research agencies. The precise responsibilities you have will vary depending on the healthcare setting in which you work, and also your qualifications and level of experience. However, you can anticipate performing at least some of the following:

• Supervising and assisting with delivering babies
• Caring for newborns who have complex medical issues or were born with health complications
• Conducting neonatal resuscitation
• Measuring and weighing newborns
• Bathing and feeding infants
• Ordering or performing diagnostic tests
• Prescribing certain medications
• Monitoring and assessing babies’ vital signs
• Monitoring and managing specialized equipment, for instance incubators and ventilators
• Carrying out medical procedures such as starting IV lines and drawing blood
• Designing treatment plans for a range of healthcare conditions that affect newborns
• Educating new parents on how to care for their infant
• Collaborating and communicating with other healthcare professionals
• Maintaining accurate patient records

Skills and traits required to be a good neonatal nurse practitioner

As an NNP, you will be required to build up a lot of neonatal nursing knowledge and clinical skills in order to succeed. These will be covered during your studies (see below), and you’ll continue to work on them throughout your career. However, in addition there are several more general transferable skills and characteristics you’ll need to cultivate in order to truly excel in this position.

Perhaps the most obvious of these is a genuine passion for taking care of newborn babies and their families. Likewise, you’ll need empathy and compassion in order to always give your patients the very best care, and to help parents cope with upsetting and stressful situations at times.

The fact that NNPs sometimes have to deal with troubling cases also means that you’ll need to be able to work well under pressure, and cope with distressing circumstances. That means having the capacity to clearly separate your work and home life, in order to not let such cases have a negative impact on your mental health and wellbeing. 

In terms of transferable skills, some of the most important include communication, organization, decision making and time management. You’ll also have to pay close attention to detail when handling precise dosages of medication and monitoring babies’ vital signs. In addition, NNPs must have the adaptability to deal with any unexpected problems that arise during their shift. 

As with all nursing roles, as an NNP you have to be committed to continuing professional development. Progress is always being made in medical technologies and treatments, and it’s critical that you stay up to date with them. Lifelong learning will enable you to keep your knowledge fresh, your skills sharp, and your career successful. 

Finally, nursing often involves working long hours on your feet. This means that you’ll need to maintain a certain level of physical fitness and stamina to cope with the potential fatigue and continue to offer your patients the highest level of care throughout a long shift. Eating well, taking regular exercise and getting plenty of sleep will all help with this.

How to become a neonatal nurse practitioner

Now that you know more about the role of an NNP, let’s look at how to become one. The first step will be to earn a bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN). Then you’ll need to pass the national Nursing Council Licensure Examination (also known as the NCLEX-RN) so you can get your license as a Registered Nurse (RN).

Following this, you can begin to specialize in neonatal care. For example, this could be by studying for specialist certification or undertaking clinical placements in the field. Then you should start to apply for neonatal nurse practitioner programs so you can level up your qualifications and become eligible for NNP roles.

The two main options are to enroll on a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) or a doctor of nursing practice (DNP). The DNP is a more advanced program, and as such takes longer to complete but puts you in a stronger position to find a high-level position after graduating. Whichever you pick, choose a course with a curriculum that focuses on neonatal nursing. If you don’t yet have a BSN, you could look for a program that combines the bachelor’s qualification with either an MSN or DNP rather than take two separate courses. 

After graduating from your MSN or DNP, you’ll be required to pass another exam in order to be licensed as a neonatal nurse practitioner. Be sure to check the specifics for the state you want to work in, as you might need to renew your certification every few years. Once you’ve obtained your license, you’ll be able to start looking for jobs!