---
title: "Neonatal Nursing: What You Need to Know"
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/neonatal-nursing-what-you-need-to-know/"
type: post
date_published: 2018-11-01
date_modified: 2025-12-26
schema:
  @type: Article
language: en-US
word_count: 619
reading_time: 4 min
canonical: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/neonatal-nursing-what-you-need-to-know/"
categories:
  - Nursing Careers
topic:
  - Nursing
---

# Neonatal Nursing: What You Need to Know

## What is a neonatal nurse?

Neonatal nurses are registered nurses who provide round-the-clock care for
vulnerable newborns. Neonatal nurses make a difference every day by helping
high-risk, critically ill, or premature babies, while also supporting parents
and other family members.

Neonatal nurses care for preterm infants or those experiencing serious issues
such as birth defects, cardiac malformations, and infections. While the neonatal
period only encompasses the first month of life, newborn babies may stay in
neonatal care for months before they are healthy enough to go home. Although not
common, a neonatal nurse may work with children up to 24 months of age.

### Where does a neonatal nurse work?

Most neonatal nurses work in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit or NICU. A
neonatal nurse may also attend the deliveries of particularly low-birth-weight
and premature infants in the hospital. Some neonatal nurses provide follow-up
care in outpatient centers, physicians’ offices, or in family homes. Other
neonatal nurses help to care for infants as they are transported by air or
ground vehicles to appropriate healthcare facilities.

### What are the duties of a neonatal nurse?

As a neonatal nurse, you’ll work with other medical professionals to provide
highly technical care for premature or seriously ill newborns as well as infants
recovering from diverse illnesses and operations.

As a NICU nurse, you may administer medications and nutrients, monitor vital
signs, and set up and check ventilators and incubators. You must be cautious and
dexterous as you provide hands-on patient care to tiny and fragile newborn
infants, doing everything from changing diapers to working with very small
instruments to resuscitating infants after birth.

NICU nurses also need to be good communicators. Part of the job is comforting
and educating families during emotional and difficult situations, keeping them
updated on changes for the better or worse, answering questions, and teaching
them how to care for their newborn. This work can be both emotionally draining
and incredibly rewarding.

NICU work is often fast-paced, with little margin for error. In emergencies and
setbacks, you must act quickly, while remaining calm, clear-headed, and
observant. In all cases, premature and sick babies require constant attention
and around-the-clock care. Small changes could signal serious problems. As such,
a NICU nurse may regularly work long shifts, including nights, weekends, and
holidays, although some hospitals offer flexible options.

### Neonatal Nurse Requirements

The requirements for working as a neonatal nurse vary by employer. At a minimum,
you’ll need to be a registered nurse with Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)
certification. If you have a
[Bachelor of Science in Nursing](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/nursing/nursing-program-information/)
(BSN), you’ll likely experience greater career flexibility and opportunities for
advancement than those with a diploma or associate degree.

If you are passionate about working in neonatal intensive care, a number of
NICUs offer residencies and other training opportunities for new nurses. Some
neonatal intensive care units, however, prefer nurses who already have
experience working with infants in pediatrics, labor and delivery, or a low-risk
newborn nursery. If you don’t find a position as a NICU nurse right away, you
may be able to transition into neonatal nursing after gaining experience in
another area.

Eventually, a neonatal nurse may choose to pursue certification to validate
their skills and prepare for advancing into higher-level positions. Neonatal
nurse certification options include:

- Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing (
  [RNC-NIC](https://www.nccwebsite.org/certification-exams/details/5))
- Critical care neonatal nursing (
  [CCRN® (Neonatal)](https://www.aacn.org/certification/get-certified/ccrn-neo))

Both certifications require at least two years of clinical experience with
neonatal patients.

---

_Information in this blog post is accurate as of November 1, 2018._

**Categories:** Nursing Careers