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DiversityNursing Blog

A Career In NICU Nursing

Posted by Erica Bettencourt

Tue, Sep 20, 2022 @ 02:12 PM

GettyImages-1414996755If you're interested in joining the Nursing field, or changing your Nursing Specialty, you'll want to learn more about which Specialty is the right fit for you.

Looking to make a difference in the lives of infants and their families? Neonatal Nursing may be the perfect career choice.

Every year, 10 to 15 percent of babies born in the United States (roughly half a million) are admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). 

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there are 4 Neonatal care levels

Level I: Well Newborn Nursery

Level I facilities provide a basic level of care to neonates who are low risk. They have the capability to perform neonatal resuscitation at every delivery and to evaluate and provide routine postnatal care for healthy newborn infants. In addition, they can care for preterm infants at 35 to 37 weeks’ gestation who are physiologically stable and can stabilize newborn infants who are less than 35 weeks of gestation or who are ill until they can be transferred to a facility at which specialty neonatal care is provided.

Level II: Special Care Nursery

Care in a specialty-level facility (level II) should be reserved for stable or moderately ill newborn infants who are born at ≥32 weeks’ gestation or who weigh ≥1500 g at birth with problems that are expected to resolve rapidly and who would not be anticipated to need subspecialty-level services on an urgent basis.

These nurseries may provide assisted ventilation on an interim basis until the infant’s condition either soon improves or the infant can be transferred to a higher-level facility.

Level III: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Evidence suggests that infants who are born at <32 weeks’ gestation, weigh <1500 g at birth, or have medical or surgical conditions, regardless of gestational age, should be cared for at a level III facility.

Level III NICUs are defined by having continuously available personnel (Neonatologists, Neonatal Nurses, Respiratory Therapists) and equipment to provide life support for as long as necessary.

These units should have the capability to perform major surgery on site or at a closely related institution, ideally in close geographic proximity.

Level IV: Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Regional NICU)

Level IV units include the capabilities of level III with additional capabilities and considerable experience in the care of the most complex and critically ill newborn infants and should have pediatric medical and pediatric surgical specialty consultants continuously available 24 hours a day. These facilities would also include the capability for surgical repair of complex conditions.

Nurses working in the NICU have a wide variety of responsibilities. Some of these duties include:

  • performing tests to evaluate any problems

  • monitoring infant health such as vital signs

  • documenting patient history

  • creating care plans with other healthcare providers
  • administering treatments and medications

  • educating new parents on how to care for their baby

  • providing comfort to concerned parents and family members

If you're interested in becoming a Neonatal Nurse you must start by earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and obtaining your RN license. Then you need to gain clinical experience in Pediatric and Neonatal settings.

Many Nurses may go on to get specific certifications and trainings to help advance their careers. Some of the certifications available to NICU Nurses include:


According to Salary.com, the average salary for a NICU Nurse is $82,269 per Year in the United States. The five highest paying states are: Alaska, California, District of Columbia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

It takes a person with a very big heart to care for such small patients. If caring for newborns and their families is important to you, this rewarding career could be the perfect fit.

Topics: neonatal nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Nicu Nurse, NICU

HOW TO BECOME A NURSE

Posted by Erica Bettencourt

Mon, Sep 08, 2014 @ 10:04 AM

By Marijke Durning

expert img

AN INTRODUCTION TO NURSING CAREERS

The path to becoming a nurse depends on which type of nursing career you’d like to pursue. You could choose to be a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a registered nurse (RN).

An LPN program is typically one year long. Programs to become an RN are either three-year hospital-based nursing school programs (diploma), or two- or four-year college programs. Graduates from two-year programs earn an associate degree in nursing (ADN), while those who attended four-year college programs graduate with a bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN). Successful completion of such a program allows you to write the licensing exam, called the NCLEX. Once you have passed the NCLEX, you can apply for a license to practice as a nurse in your state.

LPNs who want to become RNs may be able to follow an LPN-to-RN bridge program. This type of program is adapted for students who already have a nursing background. Registered nurses with the ADN who want to get their BSN may be interested in following an ADN-to-BSN bridge program.

Furthering your nursing education means acquiring more advanced skills and performing more critical tasks. For example, you must be a registered nurse and have at least a master’s in nursing to enter more advanced careers in the field, including nurse practitioner, nurse midwife or nurse anesthetist.

Before applying to colleges or signing up for classes, ask yourself a handful of critical questions: Do I need a bachelor’s degree to work as a nurse? What happens if I fail the NCLEX? Where will I feel comfortable starting as a nurse? Do I want to work myself up to a higher level of nursing gradually or do I want to go straight there?

The following guide helps answer these questions and illustrates the various pathways that aspiring nurses may take to pursue the career they truly want.

WHAT DOES A NURSE DO?

Although nursing responsibilities vary by specialization or unit, nurses have more in common than they have differences. Nurses provide, coordinate and monitor patient care, educate patients and family members about health conditions, provide medications and treatments, give emotional support and advice to patients and their family members, provide care and support to dying patients and their families, and more. They also work with healthy people by providing preventative health care and wellness information.

Although nurses work mostly in hospitals, they can also work in or for schools, private clinics, nursing homes, placement agencies, businesses, prisons, military bases and many other places. Nurses can provide hands-on care, supervise other nurses, teach nursing, work in administration or do research – the sky is the limit.

Work hours for nurses vary quite a bit. While some nurses do work regular shifts, others must work outside traditional work hours, including weekends and holidays. Some nurses work longer shifts, 10 to 12 hours per day, for example, but this allows them to work fewer days and have more days off.

COMMON SKILLS FOR NURSES

Good nurses are compassionate, patient, organized, detail oriented and have good critical thinking skills. An interest in science and math is important due to the content of nursing programs and the technology involved. Nurses must be able to function in high stress situations and be willing to constantly learn as the profession continues to grow and develop.

TYPES OF NURSING CAREERS

If you choose to become an LPN, you will likely provide direct patient care under the supervision of an RN or physician.

Registered nurses have more autonomy than LPNs, and the degree of care they provide depends on their level of education. An RN with an associate degree generally provides hands-on care directly to patients and can supervise LPNs. There may also be some administrative work. An RN with a BSN can take on more leadership roles and more advanced nursing care in specialized units, for example.

Nurses can continue to get a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) and become nurse practitioners, nurse midwives or nurse anesthetists. These are called advanced practice nurses (ARPNs). They have a larger scope of practice and are more independent.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

An entry-level nursing career, LPNs provide basic care to patients, such as checking vitals and applying bandages. This critical medical function requires vocational or two-year training plus passing a licensure examination.

Neonatal Nurse

This specialization focuses on care for newborn infants born prematurely or that face health issues such as infections or defects. Neonatal nursing requires special skill working with small children and parents.

Nurse Practitioner

A more advanced nursing profession, nurse practitioners engage in more decision-making when it comes to exams, treatments and next steps. They go beyond the reach of registered nurses (RNs) and may work with physicians more closely.

Registered Nurse

Registered nurses are the most numerous in the profession and often serve as a fulcrum of patient care. They work with physicians and communicate with patients and their families. They engage in more sophisticated care than LPNs.

Source: www.learnhowtobecome.org

Topics: neonatal nurse, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, how to, nursing, health care, nurse practitioner, career

Neonatal nurse honored for dedication to infant care

Posted by Alycia Sullivan

Fri, Jan 18, 2013 @ 12:29 PM

by Chris Marshall

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The honor is given to neonatology nonphysicians for their outstanding contributions to the field.

Erika Guillen has been a neonatal nurse for seven years, and she has spent the last four at Texas Children’s Hospital, where she works in the Level IV intensive care unit at the Newborn Center, which is reserved for newborns who have severe, life-threatening health problems.

Guillen has spent the majority of her life in the Houston area, and she has been dedicated to helping others the entire time. After graduating from nursing school, she immediately took a job working with newborns, and she began at Texas Children’s Hospital in Level II neonatal intensive care, gradually transitioning toward the higher levels, where she has the opportunity to care for babies brought in from all over the world.

“I’ve always had a passion for babies,” Guillen said. “I love taking care of babies. It’s a very special field to go into. When families trust you to care for these babies, when they tell you they go home and feel safe knowing that you’re taking care of their babies, that’s probably one of the best rewards you can get as a nurse.”

While the intangible rewards are motivation enough for Guillen, her co-workers also recognized the exemplary work she was doing, and she was nominated for the Reba Michels Hill Award by the physicians who work in the neonatal unit.

“The award is presented to people who dedicate themselves to research, education, patient care, as well as family care,” Guillen said. “Here at Texas Children’s Hospital, we take a lot of pride in involving families in the care of their babies.”

Because she works in Level IV, where most of the babies have major, often complex, health problems, it is particularly rewarding to Guillen when she sees a success story. The highlight of her job is seeing the joy displayed by parents whose children overcome seemingly overwhelming odds.

“A lot of these families come to us because we’re the best,” Guillen said. “When we’re able to give them a second chance, when we’re able to give them hope, and when we see their babies go home when they thought they would never live, that is one of the best things ever for us.”

Topics: neonatal nurse, infant care, Erika Guillen, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston area

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