Becoming an NNP

Specialties NICU

Published

I'm seriously considering going to school for NP, but my whole career as an RN (18 yrs) has been with neonates. I did a year in Med/Surg and then Mother/Baby, but otherwise all Nursery and NICU. I currently work in a smaller hospital with only a Level II, so we just stabilize and ship all of our really sick or premature babies. We do not have a Neo or NNP.

I feel like my true calling would be to specialize and be an NNP, even if I need to relocare. I have no one near me to ask about this option. Do I need to become an FNP first? Or is there a different way to go about it? I feel like asking real nurses and NNPs is better than trying to Google.

Thank you so much for any help or insight.

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

NNP is a specialty degree in and of itself. Here's a link to the relevant organization and it looks like they have an exhaustive list of programs as well.

Graduate Programs | NANN

Best wishes

Pattoncy

6 Posts

So it looks like the closest NNP programs to me would be in Memphis,TN and Jackson, MS. Anyone reading this going through or have gone through either of those programs?

babyNP., APRN

1,922 Posts

Specializes in NICU.

You will need at least 2 years of RN experience in a level III or IV NICU. I would go to the largest hospital you can go to get this experience. You can do some of the didactic (theory) portion of graduate school to become a NNP prior to obtaining this experience, but I would recommend starting out in the Level III/IV first so you know what you're getting yourself into. You may find that you love it, but you may also find yourself pulled elsewhere. The learning curve to be a Level III/IV NICU RN will be steep and adding grad school at the same time could be pretty stressful.

You probably won't find specific program information here as many NNP schools only have a dozen or less students going through at a time and the chances of one of them doing that and going on this website are small. Possible, of course, but I wouldn't count on it. If you have questions about specific programs, I would email the program directly.

good luck and keep us posted on how things go...

Pattoncy

6 Posts

Thank you. Yes, I've only ever worked in a Level II setting, but I've always felt a pull to work in a higher acuity setting. And I used to work in Texas alongside several other NNPs, but my daughter was small then and I didn't want any extra commitment pulling me away from her. Now that she's almost graduated from HS, I'm feeling the pull to further my education. I will definitely be calling a program director to get more info. Thank you!

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP

1,774 Posts

Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Most NNP programs want 2 years experience in a Level III or higher. This is important. You aren't exposed to the same problems in a Level II, and in the rare instance that more acute shows up, you transfer them out. The practice requirement is very important to your success and NNP is the only specialty that still has a requirement consistently among NNP programs.

I agree with all that everyone else has said, and I'd add that there is absolutely no benefit to getting your FNP before your NNP. However, since you've probably been out of school for a while (given your years of experience), it may help your strengthen your application to take some graduate level classes. I'd reach out to specific programs and see if there's anything they'd recommend (some seem to prefer graduate level statistics, for whatever reason).

I do think your time spent in a Level II will be useful. One thing I've found is that Level II nurses tend to be pretty resourceful since they don't have as many 'resource nurses' around during an emergency--you have to be the one who responds.

That said, I'd look for jobs in the highest-acuity NICU you can find that still cares for a high proportion of micro-preemies. Definitely look for units that serve as a referral center (i.e. academic medical centers) but also have their own dedicated delivery facilities. Smaller Level III units at community hospitals take micros, but they don't always see the interesting referral cases (like HIE/cooling, genetic anomolies, etc.). In contrast, stand alone children's hospitals that don't do deliveries will get a lot of the interesting referrals, but they see relatively few micros (since micros can generally stay at a Level III delivery center unless they've got some crazy congenital comorbidity). If given the choice between a Level III that does deliveries and a Level IV that doesn't do deliveries, I'd pick the Level III, since most of the kids you'll be caring for as an NNP will be micros (not crazy congenital anomaly kids). The best of both worlds is to work at a Level IV referral center that also does deliveries, since you'll get a mix of super-sick referrals and micros.

Pattoncy

6 Posts

Very true I have no resources here. Most of our peds are fresh out of residency and just look at you like a deer in the headlights when you tell them there is a 26 weeker about to deliver. Then they want to stand there and ask you what they are supposed to do. Our RT department sucks with newborns and downright scary if we have a preemie. Lab also sucks because they aren't trained on drawing babies. I do that all myself. I'll never forget the night a lab tech came in the nursery and pulled out her 10cc syringe and told me she was going to draw a "rainbow" on my baby just in case the doctor wanted anything else. *shudder* No, Ma'am! She got some education from me that night. Phew!!!

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