Neonatal Education!

HEllO! I'm 17 and I have been interested in NICU for a long time now and I have been trying to figure out the exact schooling and the kind of classes that I am going to need to become a neonatal nurse and how many years it will take. If anyone could please help me i would greatly appriciate it.

Thank you

T

You need to get your nursing license - RN (some units will use LPN's but not all - depends a lot on where you live).

To get RN: Undergraduate major in nursing - can get associate degree or bachelors degree in nursing - for staff nurse position it really does not matter

This is entry level for neonatal intensive care staff nurse - neonatal ICU specific training is on-the-job...undergraduate nursing programs do not offer specialization. Associate degree is 2-3 years, bachelor's degree is 4 years

If you wish to advance to neonatal nurse practitioner, you will need graduate degree (MSN) and a minimum of one year experience as a staff nurse in the NICU. NNP is usually 1-2 additional years