Time commitment for NRP?

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Feb 19, 2019

It took me a total of about 2 hours to do the written test and the online scenarios plus 45 minutes for hands on skill simulation (3rd time taking the course). I just re-certified last Wednesday. NRP may be a difficult course to complete as a student without any knowledge. You might have a difficult time finding a hands on simulation portion of the course that has a spot for you. All of our spaces are reserved for nurses, RT, and doctors that currently work in the NICU.

NRP has very little benefit to a student or new grad since one of the first things that an employer will do is to have you take the course.

sergel02, BSN · Feb 19, 2019

I took it as a student before preventing and only took a couple hours total. Didnt make much sense though. Like NICU Guy said, a lot of employers will pay for it. Our instructor even said it is beneficial mostly to those that actually work in the field.

Leader25, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2019

NRP is taken after you are employed in that area,there are parts the will not make sense without prior experience.You need to know all about a normal healthy infant before you can delve into the complications of premature, or full term delivery scenarios.You could start reading the manual ,but be aware it is a $300 course in northeast,which some employers pay for as they can get group rates.

babyNP., APRN · Feb 20, 2019

If you can swing it and have time to study without affecting your regular nursing studies, I would go for it. I am convinced that this really helped my resume stand out and got me a job at a Level IV children's hospital, in addition to my NICU practicum in nursing school.

You will need to study though as it's not out of your regular schoolwork and the concepts won't be intuitive.

Is it ideal to take it as a NICU nurse on orientation? Of course. But you have to get into the NICU in the first place and that is often the tricky party...if you had a job lined up in NICU, no need to take it. And of course you can get into the NICU without taking it...but depending on your area of the country, maybe hard to get into...

How long for a nursing student? I dunno...maybe 4 hours? 10? Really hard to estimate for someone like you. I did the test this year in about 45 minutes without studying, but I'm also a NRP instructor and have worked in NICU for over 10 years and have taught the course a dozen times, so it's obviously a different mindset for me. I think you have 30 days when you start it and then need to take a skills course. I recently had 2 nursing students in my last NRP class and they were on the ball and did well at the skills stations and during the simulations.