Primary Duties

• Neonatal nurses provide direct patient care to infants, including monitoring life support machines, intravenous (IV) medications and specialized feedings. They also conduct medical examinations and educate new parents on how to care for these special-need infants.
  
  

Other Duties

• Some advanced-practice neonatal nurses help with high-risk deliveries. Others work as members of neonatal transport teams or assist physicians performing surgeries on newborns.
  
  

Education

• All states require neonatal nursing professionals to earn RN degrees from accredited nursing programs. Aspiring neonatal nurses have the option of pursuing a master's degree in nursing and becoming neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs).
  
  

Credentials

• Potential neonatal nurses must pass the NCLEX-RN, the national licensing exam for RNs. Some states require neonatal nursing professionals to obtain additional certification.
  
  

Career Outlook

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts a shortage in all nursing fields through the year 2018, which means job opportunities should be favorable for well-trained applicants. According to NurseSource.org, neonatal nurses earn yearly salaries between $30,000 and $48,000.