Any Neonatoal NP (NNP) at your units?

CapeMaui · Jul 8, 2004

Yes, they do work under the neonatalogy department with the attendings, but what I meant to say is that they are STAFFED under nursing usually so their schedules and the residents' schedules have no bearing on each other, as they are considered different departments when it comes to budgets and such. Does that make sense?
As far as prescription priviledges go, that may change before you get your NNP so don't worry too much about that. More states may approve of them, or others may take away the priviledge, who knows. It doesn't make a huge amount of difference on our unit - all it means is that we can't chart the meds off in the computer until the MD has approved it for administration. I've never seen a doc refuse to cosign something, so really just a matter of paperwork, etc.

Thanks Gompers! Yes, that makes a lot of sense! I guess the hospital where I was may be an exception. The RN told me that the NNP always worked nights as the days are covered by neonatologists, that's why i was wondering if that's the norm. I HOPE NOT! I don't think hubby would like that too much

I won't worry about prescription priviledges, it doesn't make a difference to me one way or the other. I don't mind having someone double check. when it comes to the tiny ones, the more checking the better :chuckle

mac23 · Jul 8, 2004

mac23 - what school do you go to? that's a great idea, do you know if most schools let you do that? also, does this mean you'll get to sit on 2 boards and get 2 ms degrees? are you currently going for your nnps as well? in your unit, does your nnps pretty much fxn independently?

here is some info on the combined nnp/pnp program.

in general three types of nurse practitioners care for children; neonatal nurse practitioners (nnp), pediatric nurse practitioners (pnp) and, to a lesser extent, family nurse practitioners (fnp). traditionally, pnps are outpatient based and nnps are inpatient based. in recent years, there has been an overlap in their roles. for example, pnps examine infants in the hospital, while nnps provide aftercare in outpatient settings for growing young children. the focus on improving health in rural and underserved areas has highlighted the special knowledge required to provide cost effective efficient care in areas that might not have access to all the resources of a larger medical center. this combined program allows the student to have a great deal of latitude when seeking positions after graduation.

what makes the neonatal and pediatric programs at duke unique?

several things are unique about our programs. first the total focus will be on infants and children within the context of a family. from the minute you start at duke, you will find that unlike most programs in the nation, our pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment courses are focused solely on infants and children. we are one of the only programs in the country that offers this total pediatric immersion. second, our faculty practices in the field as clinical nurse specialists, neonatal nurse practitioners, pediatric nurse practitioners, and pediatric clinical pharmacists. you will be surrounded by experts-- faculty who can discuss real cases from the previous week and can integrate theory, research, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and management of the infant or child into classroom discussion. we also have a state-of-the-art simulation laboratory that helps you gain confidence in advance practice procedures.

how long does it take to complete this program?

the program of study includes 1216 clinical hours and 56 credits, which can be completed in 5 semesters (fall, spring, summer, fall, spring) of full time study. part time study is also available.

the neonatal nurse practitioner program is based on guidelines for neonatal nurse practitioner education developed by the national association of neonatal nurses (nann) and the guidelines for pediatric nurse practitioner education developed by the national certification board of pediatric nurse practitioners and nurses (ncbpn/p). graduates of the nnp/pnp program are eligible to take the following certification examinations: national certification corporation (ncc) neonatal nurse practitioner certification examination, the pediatric nurse practitioner certification exam sponsored by the national certification board of pediatric nurse practitioners and nurses, and the pediatric nurse practitioner exam sponsored by the american nurses credentialing center (ancc).

CapeMaui · Jul 8, 2004

Thanks so much Mac23! Really appreciate all the info. Unfortunately, Duke is too far and relocation is not an option. I'll be looking into schools in NY, Columbia and Stony Brook. Both have a good reputation, however, Stony Brook's program is a distance learning program, I'm not sure how I feel about that. I think I would prefer to do in class work... How much longer till you graduate and sit for your board?

mac23 · Jul 8, 2004

I have 6 months to go!!!! I'm really excited. I didn't start at Duke though, I started at MUSC in south carolina and their nnp program you can do distance/online so just wanted to comment on the distance programs. In my opinion, it wasn't at all bad I really enjoyed the freedom actually. It allowed me to work and the on campus stuff they only met once a week anyways. I was required to be on campus for certain things but it allowed me to not have to move to Charleston, as i was living in Columbia, SC at the time. However, the clinical part you had to have a sponser and you could do your clinicals at any one of 4 hospitals in South Carolina one being in columbia so once again i didn't have to move so keep distance/online programs in your mind it really wasn't that bad. I only went to school part time so it has taken me a while to finish and i had to move to north carolina for my husbands job so that's how I ended up at Duke........ but going part time allowed me to gain the necessary experience required before you can sit for the boards and it helped so much with working with the babies. Keep in touch. I'd be interested in seeing what you decide to do as far as NNP or any other type of NP education is concerned. And just keep the info from Duke in mind in case you want to explore doing both NNP and PNP...one of the schools may be able to customise your programs so that even if they don't have a formal combined program you could still do both...that's what MUSC was doing for me. It's something to keep in mind to ask about when you explore different programs.

Thanks so much Mac23! Really appreciate all the info. Unfortunately, Duke is too far and relocation is not an option. I'll be looking into schools in NY, Columbia and Stony Brook. Both have a good reputation, however, Stony Brook's program is a distance learning program, I'm not sure how I feel about that. I think I would prefer to do in class work... How much longer till you graduate and sit for your board?

CapeMaui · Jul 10, 2004

That's so exciting!! Good luck and eary congrats!

Thanks for the insight on the distance learning! I will definitely keep an open mind about it as it will really depend on where my life is 2 years from now.

I definitely want to go part time as I want to work. You're so right, there is no replacement for actual hands on experience, especially when it comes to babies, IMHO anyway . As for school choice is concerned, although Stony Brook is an awesome school, it's no Duke or Columbia, that's one of the reasons why I'm leaning towards pursuing Columbia. However, there is NO comparison when it comes to the cost! Stony Brook is a 1/3 of the cost! So it'll really depend on where life takes me :rolleyes:

I will definitely keep Duke's info handy and will work with whichever school I get in to see if they will work with me on customizing something. Too bad Duke doesn't have a distance learning program for NNP, or I would definitely consider it, as it'll give me a good excuse to fly down to the nice weather periodically! :chuckle

I will definitely keep in touch and update where I end up. Email or here?

Thanks again!!

mac23 · Jul 10, 2004

You can certainly email me if you'd like. I check here as often as I can so you can catch me around here too. Good thing about most hospitals is that they are willing to pay for your education in exchange for your services post graduation. At Duke after you've worked for them for a year they pay 90% of your tuition in exchange for a year of service for each year they pay for. Not bad considering the $$$$$$ to attend Duke! I understand what you mean about where you end up in life, I never thought I'd be here but I'm a firm believer in thinking Everything will work itself out if you work hard enough even though it might not be what you originally wanted.

QUOTE=CapeMaui]That's so exciting!! Good luck and eary congrats!

Thanks for the insight on the distance learning! I will definitely keep an open mind about it as it will really depend on where my life is 2 years from now.

I definitely want to go part time as I want to work. You're so right, there is no replacement for actual hands on experience, especially when it comes to babies, IMHO anyway . As for school choice is concerned, although Stony Brook is an awesome school, it's no Duke or Columbia, that's one of the reasons why I'm leaning towards pursuing Columbia. However, there is NO comparison when it comes to the cost! Stony Brook is a 1/3 of the cost! So it'll really depend on where life takes me :rolleyes:

I will definitely keep Duke's info handy and will work with whichever school I get in to see if they will work with me on customizing something. Too bad Duke doesn't have a distance learning program for NNP, or I would definitely consider it, as it'll give me a good excuse to fly down to the nice weather periodically! :chuckle

I will definitely keep in touch and update where I end up. Email or here?

Thanks again!!

CapeMaui · Jul 10, 2004

I know that most hospital will pay for post-grad tuition, I'm hoping to find out more about tuition forgiveness program for the loan from undergrad

Will definitely email/leave msgs here. Good luck and keep us posted when you take your board!! :)

salvati08 · Jul 14, 2004

What is the NNP pay like? Does it pay any different than other np's, thanks!

AllyZ · Jul 16, 2004

I work in a large unit where we use NNP's and are also hiring more. They work in close contact with the attending's and fellows in neonatology. They are great to work with and most are former NICU nurses. They work normal hours and do a night on call rotation. I think they are great not only with the patients but also with the families!!

Hello everyone -
Does any of you have have NNPs work in your unit? If so, what is their job like? Do they enjoy it? Do they get stuck with the night shift? I also heard that some NICUs have PNP (peds NP) work in their unit, is this true?
If there are any NNP's or PNPs that work in NICU, I would love to hear from you about your current situation and job outlook.
Thanks for your help!

CapeMaui · Jul 16, 2004

Thanks Ally! That's awesome to know! I am so glad to hear very positive things about NNPs. I am a little worried about the long term viability of the position, but it is my dream job! :) Thanks again!

erilynn17 · Jul 19, 2004

CapeMaui, I think we are in the same position! I am also in the Long Island area, and want to be a NNP. I know that I couldn't do the distance program at Stony Brook, although I am currently doing undergrad there. Fortunately, I do have the ability to move around a little, but I am looking for anything basically on the east coast. There aren't very many options though! Columbia is rediculously expensive, and is the only other school close by. I am looking into Penn State, UPenn, Duke, and Northeastern. The other program is these schools are very competitive. Does anybody else know of any good programs??? I'm also looking for anyone's opinion on the differences b/w neonatolgist and NNP. I will be finishing nursing school next year and I am considering med school instead of going on to NNP. Any advice?

mac23 · Jul 19, 2004

The road to being a neonatologist (MD or DO) is a long one. 4 years undergrad, 4 years medical school, 3-4 years pediatric residency, 3 years as a neonatology fellow. If your heart is truly with being a doctor, then go for it. Take what you need to get into med school now, and keep your grades up. I too once thought about going to med school but then I had my baby and my priorities changed. Only you can decide what's best for you. Visit studentdoctor.com and read about people's experiences with applying to med school (Warning: a lot of them don't think too highly of nurses, but don't let that sway you away from being an NNP). also neonatology.org (look under career information) has a lot of info on neonatology. Last, talk to other NNP's and maybe shadow one or two and talk to them about their experiences. My own experiences (my daughter was a 23 weeker) and being a NICU nurse helped my decision and I don't regret it one bit.

CapeMaui, I think we are in the same position! I am also in the Long Island area, and want to be a NNP. I know that I couldn't do the distance program at Stony Brook, although I am currently doing undergrad there. Fortunately, I do have the ability to move around a little, but I am looking for anything basically on the east coast. There aren't very many options though! Columbia is rediculously expensive, and is the only other school close by. I am looking into Penn State, UPenn, Duke, and Northeastern. The other program is these schools are very competitive. Does anybody else know of any good programs??? I'm also looking for anyone's opinion on the differences b/w neonatolgist and NNP. I will be finishing nursing school next year and I am considering med school instead of going on to NNP. Any advice?