How To Become A Neonatal Nurse

What is a Neonatal Nurse?

A neonatal nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who specialises in providing supportive health care to newborn infants up to four-weeks-old. Neonatal nursing involves caring for infants born with a variety of problems ranging from prematurity, birth defects, infection, cardiac malformations, and surgical problems. The neonatal period is defined as the first month of an infant’s life; however, some newborns may require ongoing care.

A neonatal nurse’s role involves varying aspects, such as clinical, educational, managerial and research. You will find a neonatal nurse typically in a neonatal intensive care unit, nursery, baby care unit, postnatal ward, emergency room, or even amongst the community.

Caring for newborn infants can be one of the most rewarding experiences in the nursing profession, but can also be just as heartbreaking.

General Responsibilities

Neonatal nurses perform a number of tasks with newborns including providing general care, administering treatment, performing tests, documenting patient history and operating specialised equipment. Their duties may also include:

• preparing and checking medications
• managing a baby’s fluids
• recording observations and documenting a baby’s care
• initiating appropriate basic resuscitation in an emergency situation
• educating and supporting parents

Skills & Qualities

Neonatal nursing is a very challenging profession. It is a technical job which requires a lot of monitoring and administering complex treatment, as well specialised care for neonates with serious and complicated medical issues. Dedication and high resilience, are must-have qualities to successfully confront these challenges and to maintain a long career.

Moreover, one of the most challenging roles of a neonatal nurse involves providing end-of-life care to the unwell baby and providing support to the grieving family. Emotional strength is necessary when facing this aspect of the job.

On the other hand, this profession is equally rewarding as it is challenging especially when you witness the improvements on the health condition of a neonate.

Qualifications

To become a neonatal nurse, you must first be a registered nurse (RN) and/or midwife, both of which require the completion of a Bachelor of Nursing & Midwifery. As a graduate you may then have the opportunity to be placed within a neonatal ICU (NISU) or specialised nursery unit.

It is not essential for a neonatal nurse to possess a postgraduate qualification in the neonatal area, but it is often preferred by many employers. This may include a Graduate Certificate or Master’s level qualification in the specialised field, which will involve some mandatory placement. To gain entry to one of these courses, many education providers will require you to have some experience in neonatal before being admitted to the program.

There are also other certifications and short courses that be undertaken to develop your career in neonatal nursing.

For more information about neonatal nursing in Australia, check out the Australian College of Neonatal Nursing (ACNN) website.

Salary Expectations

The average salary of a neonatal nurses in Australia is $43 per hour or $83,263 per year. Salary at entry level positions begins around $60,000 while highly experienced neonatal nurses earn up to $121,000.

Salary rate may vary depending on the state or territory you work in. You can read more about Australian nursing salaries here.

Who’s this role for?

Being a nurse exposes you to all types of emotions on a daily basis especially when working in an intensive care unit. Sudden changes or health deterioration can take place quickly and emotions can be subject to extreme highs and lows. Along with these emotional challenges, you have to provide special and often complex nursing care to an unwell baby while also providing support to the family.

If you are up for taking on a career that is physically and emotionally demanding, yet equally rewarding, becoming a neonatal nurse may be a suitable option for you.

Career Pathways

Nurses and midwives, in general, are highly in demand in Australia. Neonatal nurses can work in various settings, in a private or public institution. Depending on your qualifications, both academic and practical, you can choose to work as a practitioner in a hospital, be an educator, participate in research or eventually take up a managerial role.