What Is Needed to Become a Certified Infant Nurse?
Infant nurses, or neonatal nurses, work with babies in a variety of health care settings, ranging from hospitals to pediatricians' offices. Because of their level of specialization, the requirements to become a neonatal nurse take longer than nurses who specialize in more general fields.
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Education
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Infant nurses must have completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and hold the licensure to be a registered nurse. If you want to be a neonatal nurse practitioner, you must have a Master of Science in Nursing degree.
Additional Requirements
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In addition to the educational requirements, infant nurses must hold certifications in either neonatal resuscitation or neonatal intensive care nursing. Holding both certifications provides greater job opportunities and allows you to work with more severely ill infants.
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Experience
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Many job openings for infant nurses require the nurse to have a number of years of experience before applying. This is not true of all positions, because some may hire nurses immediately upon certification.
Certification
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After completing the educational requirements and the additional certification requirements, you must pass a state-issued exam to gain certification as a neonatal nurse. These exams are given by the state board of nursing, although national exams are provided by the National Certification Corporation. The precise certifications vary by state. Contact your state board for information on the process.
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