Being a trusted support to families As parents come to terms with having a child in the NICU, they're often overwhelmed by fear, depression, anxiety and guilt. Teaching parents specialized care skills As babies begin to gain weight, breathe and eat on their own, neonatal nurses prepare families to take their child home. Advancing your career As your experience and knowledge grows, your career path can take you toward leadership and mentorship opportunities.
The National Association of Neonatal Nurses outlines several possibilities for advancement for neonatal nurses, including: Nurse manager to oversee staffing and administration of a NICU Clinical nurse specialist to provide educational support to staff Developmental care specialist to help meet babies' developmental needs Neonatal nurse practitioner to take increased responsibility for critical care 5. Enjoying long-term job prospects The specialized skills of a NICU nurse are needed in increasingly busy neonatal intensive care units.
As well, many babies admitted to the NICU are preterm or of low birth weight. In , the preterm birth rate increased for the fourth straight year, with 1 in 10 babies born before term, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC. About half of premature babies require special health care. The CDC also reports that in , the number of babies with low birthweight less than 5.
This is the highest rate since Combining rewarding work with exciting travel Neonatal nurses are in demand across the country , giving you an incredible opportunity to take on short-term NICU travel nursing assignments in a variety of desirable locations. How can I help you? Normally after a period of six months, nurses and midwives would be encouraged to undertake continuing professional development. Neonatal nursing programmes are part of continuing professional development. They normally contain a range of modules, which specialise in different aspects of neonatal nursing.
Programmes are delivered in partnership with local higher education institutions and health care trusts and may be available on-line giving the opportunity for distance learning.
Financial support is normally available through the continuing professional development budget within each healthcare trust. There is currently a shortage of staff working as neonatal nurses. There are several routes for neonatal nurses to further their careers. These include opportunities in management, education, research and advanced practice. Neonates have underdeveloped lungs combined with an immature nervous system which normally means they forget to breathe.
This, of course, means alarms! This is just one of many health conditions neonates have to deal with. Some parents can go weeks without being able to hold their baby, so supporting them to feel like parents during such a difficult time is a crucial part of what I do. I have experienced first-hand staff shortages within the NHS and it can be stressful for everyone involved.
Because babies in neonatal care are so vulnerable, it is absolutely necessary that there are enough specialist nurses in the field and more funding is given to NHS Trusts to enable them to train their staff effectively. Neonatal care was one of the priorities in the NHS Long Term Plan, published in , so hopefully there will be positive change - for babies, patients, and nurses - to come.
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