Need some SERIOUS advice from Neonatal/Pediatric NP's

[mommy2three2]

Hello all,

I am VERY seriously considering going this route. I have recently gained admittance into a undergrad nursing program in order to get a second B.S. in nursing. However, I know I would like to go onto pursue my NP in a speciality probably either Pediatrics or Neonatology.

I am desperately looking for information from ANYONE regarding the lifestyle (hrs worked), where work (esp for Neonatal NP how hospital hrs work), starting salary, amount of autonomy vs dependence on attending/supervising physician and any other helpful advice you may have to share.

Thanks in advance.

[nightmare, RN]

Moved to Nurse practitioner forum for more input.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

I'm still studying for my NNP, so I'll have to answer your question based on my observation alone.

Lifestyle/hours worked: Anything goes. NNPs here work 12 hour rotating shifts of 6 nights and 7 days per month. Some facilities hire into straight 12hr days and nights. Some require a significant amount of call. Some have 24 shifts. It is all going to depend on the facility.

Where to work: NNPs practice primarily in the hospital setting. Some DO practice in followup or well-baby clinics, however with an NNP, you are limited to caring for children 0-2 years old.

Salary: Check out Salary.com for details about your area. More rural areas would probably be in the 65k+ range, and metropolitan in the 85k+ range. Again, it all depends on the area. NNPs here in NYC can make six figures due to being unionized. Fortunately there is a huge demand for NNPs. A recruiter who recruits both neonatologists and NNPs told me once that NNPs are much harder to come by.

Autonomy: Depends on the unit. Where I work, the NNPs take their own patients in a resident-like role, being supervised by a neonatal fellow, and ultimately, the attending. At a smaller non-teaching facility, the NNP would probably be much more autonomous, especially at a facility that does not have 24hr neonatologist coverage.