Essay On Neonatal Nurse

Once I obtain my RN degree and license I would like to specialize in neonatal medicine. “The neonatal period is defined as the first month of life; however, these newborns are often sick for months” (National Association of Neonatal Nurses). Some of the problems that a neonatal nurse works with is prematurity, birth defects, surgical problems, and cardiac malformations to name a few. Depending on the institution, further education varies but experience working in a neonatal intensive care unit as an RN is preferred as a standard (Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow). A master’s or doctor’s degree is required for any advanced practice nursing. There are three different levels of care that a neonatal nurse can work in, depending on the extent of treatment an infant requires. Level I is for relatively healthy infants. Level II is known as a special care nursery for babies that have been born prematurely and have problems with breathing, feeding, etc. Level III is known as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), this level provides life support, respiratory support, and access to surgical specialists to name a …show more content…
Most RNs make an annual amount of $67,490 (Career One Stop). However according to the website salary.com the median annual wage was higher at $70,286. The lowest annual wage is $46,360 and the highest annual wage is $101,630 (Career One Stop). If an RNs pay were to be broken down by hour, the average pay according to salary.com is $34. An RN is highly compensated for their services, with the highest paid RNs working for the government and the lowest paid working in nursing homes. A career as a registered nurse has an excellent job outlook and unemployment rate. There is currently a 2.1% unemployment rate for RNs in the United States (US News). RN is deemed one of the top 10 occupations with the largest job growth (Explore Health