Who are Neonatal Nurses/ Neonatal Care Nurse
Neonatal nurses, often known as Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses, look after infants who have medical concerns soon after delivery, such as congenital defects, surgical issues, or preterm. Neonatal nurses provide care to infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for the first month after birth, as well as patients with long-term issues up to the age of two.
Neonatal nurses are in charge of working directly with the parents of newborns, teaching them how to care for their young, and possibly sick, child. While in the hospital, neonatal nurses assist parents with bathing, feeding, and caring for their newborns. They frequently serve as a link between the parent and the infant’s specialists. In most hospitals, neonatal nurses are part of the NICU team.
The majority of the patient’s Neonatal nurses will be caring for are children under the age of two. Patients are usually infants, but if they require long-term hospital care, they may spend months or even years in the NICU before being transferred to a pediatrics unit.
Neonatal Nurse Job Description
A Neonatal Nurse works in a high-stress, fast-paced workplace. The following are some of the primary duties and obligations of this position:
• Creating a caring environment for patients, friends, and families provides emotional, psychological, and spiritual support.
• Following the hospital and nursing division’s philosophies and standards of care set by the state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations; measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards; making or recommending necessary adjustments, and adhering to therapeutic standards.
• Establishing personal rapport with future and present patients, as well as other persons in a position to understand care requirements to identify patient care needs.
• Ensure equipment operation by following manufacturer’s instructions, performing preventive maintenance, troubleshooting malfunctions, calling for repairs, keeping equipment inventories, and reviewing new equipment and procedures.
• Resolving patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
• Maintaining a safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations; calling for healthcare support personnel assistance.
• Educate new parents with information on fundamental infant care, such as breastfeeding, hygiene, and safety.
• Increasing the independence of patients through developing patient care goals, training patients, friends, and family about their condition, medications, and self-care skills, and responding to questions.
• Perform tests ordered by the obstetrician or nurse practitioner and evaluate the results
• Infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance restrictions must all be followed to ensure the safety of patients and personnel.
• Maintaining technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, building personal networks, and participating in professional societies.
• Charting in patient and department records to record patient care services.
• Creates, prioritizes, modifies, and maintains an individual care plan.
• Coordinates and collaborates with the healthcare team on the Plan of Care.
• Maintaining patient trust and safeguarding operations by keeping information private.
• Determines and delivers age-appropriate care.
• Delegates’ responsibilities are based on the complexities of the patient’s requirements.
• Critical thinking skills are used in the prioritization of care.
Neonatal Nurse Salary
Neonatal intensive care unit nurses, also called NICU nurses are among the highest paying nursing specialties. The work setting, along with several other factors, impacts a NICU nurse’s salary. Prospective neonatal ICU nurses must complete the educational requirements to become registered nurses and earn at least an Associate Degree in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a nursing program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
How Much Do Neonatal Nurse Make in California? It is estimated that the annual median salary for a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse in California is $145,185.
The average hourly wage for a Neonatal Nurse in California is $69.80, which amounts to about $145,185 per year. The lowest 10% makes about $122,777 annually, while the highest 10% makes about $167,711 per year.