The Evolution of Neonatal Nursing

Neonatal nursing refers to the branch of nursing that provides care to infants during the first 28 days of their life. The field of neonatal nursing was developed in the 1960s and is much newer than the nursing fields of midwifery, adult health care, or other specializations.

Neonatal Nursing Levels

• Neonatal nursing care has three levels. Level 1 is care provided to healthy newborns in the hospital nursery. Level 2 is intermediate care for premature or sick infants who may require oxygen or special feedings. Level 3 is the highest level of care and is reserved for infants who need ventilators or other specialized equipment not found in a Level 1 or 2 nursery.

Neonatal Education

• An RN with a two- or four-year nursing degree is eligible to work as a neonatal nurse. Some hospitals may require a nurse to spend one or two years in other areas of the hospital before being eligible to work as a neonatal nurse; others will hire recent nursing school graduates. Neonatal nurses can take graduate courses to become neonatal nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists.

Salary

• Neonatal nurses can expect to make between $30,000 and $40,000 annually as a new graduate in the Midwest as of 2010. Nurses on the East or West Coast tend to garner higher salaries. Salaries usually increase as a nurse gains more experience in the field.