Neonatal Nurse Schooling
If you are a registered nurse who has decided to pursue working in neonatal medicine you need to first find available neonatal nurse schools that meet your needs and prepare you for working with babies that are both healthy and sick. Before you can purse your neonatal education you must first have your BSN. This allows you to move into a Master’s program to become a nurse practitioner with a focus on neonatal nursing.
The information contained herein below presents you with some of the suggested schools for neonatal education.
Universities and Colleges with Neonatal Classes
Before plunging into the application process for neonatal nurse schooling it is a good idea to know what schools have the program so you can review their guidelines and overall school and make an educated decision. To help you on this quest, some of the top schools that offer neonatal nursing programs are described here. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive and if you have a particular school in mind that you would like to attend, you should contact them and find out if they offer neonatal programs.
Regis University: Located in Denver, Colorado, Regis University offers nurses the opportunity to study for the Master of Science: Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. Upon graduation you will be skilled in the care of newborns and infants with high risk medical conditions. Regis University is a Jesuit Catholic school and is accredited for the nursing programs it offers.
Rush University College of Nursing: Although the college campus is located in Chicago, classes are held on online. The school offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice –Nurse Practitioner –Neonatal degree and a Post Graduate Neonatal Certificate. The certificate course is for nurses who already have the education required to become certified or are certified in another specialty area to add neonatal nursing to their repertoire.
University of Missouri – Kansas City: The School of Nursing at University of Missouri offers a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner degree that is online but also has at least two periods of four-day sit in classes that must be attended. Classes are held through an online program called Blackboard. The school works with the student to find a local neonatal intensive care unit to complete their coursework with a preceptor that the school has selected and approved.
Creighton University: Located in Nebraska, Creighton University offers nurses seeking an advanced degree an NNNP, the nurse practitioner degree that specializes in neonatal care. The school offers some distance based classes but is overall a campus-based class. The program is a five semester program with a 300-hour residency that is part of the 675 hours of clinical practice.
Rochester University School of Nursing: The Rochester University School of Nursing in New York offers two neonatal options for nurses wishing to advance into neonatal nursing: a Masters of Science in Nursing with a focus on neonatal nursing (NNNP) a dual degree, the Care of Children and Families with Neonatal Nurse Practitioner MS/PhD. Students are able to complete clinical work in the University Of Rochester Medical Center.
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia: This program has been ranked as one of the top in the nation. It is a one-year program for registered nurses who have been working in the neonatal intensive care unit for at least two years and wish to become certified in neonatal care. Nurses can stretch the program for two or three years if they want to attend part time. Students attend clinical trials at the world class Penn State Hershey Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Vanderbilt University: Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt requires students to have two years of neonatal experience before admissions into the program. Students can earn their MS degree with a focus on neonatal nursing from the comfort of their own home through the distance learning program. Students study Level I Newborn Nursery, Level II Intermediate Care Nursery and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery in order to be ready to sit for the certification exam.
Neonatal nurse schooling options are varied and offered both online and in traditional, campus based classes in universities and colleges around the nation. You can choose either one or even a mixed-curriculum in order to get you degree and start your career as a higher paid, neonatal nurse practitioner.
