We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Education

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

How do I Become a NICU Nurse?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 5,014
Share

A NICU nurse is a nurse who is at least a registered nurse and whose principal work is conducted in neonatal intensive care units. These units house babies who are born with extreme illnesses, those who have just had surgery shortly after birth, and those babies born prematurely. NICU nurses perform very exact, specific care for either one baby per shift or more than one baby, depending on how the NICU is organized. The work involves significant teaching or training to parents who may be extremely emotional, and sometimes involves necessity of caring for infants abandoned or possibly injured by their parents. The person looking to become a NICU nurse needs a strong head for details, extraordinary compassion, and emotional resiliency, and those seeking this career must also meet all education requirements.

The first step to become a NICU nurse is to get a bachelor’s degree in registered nursing. NICU nurses are not licensed vocational or practical nurses and must possess at least an RN degree. With this degree, some nurses get hired at hospitals with neonatal and pediatric departments and gradually are able to become a NICU nurse by demonstrating persistent interest in the field and applying for jobs that come up. While some hospitals will hire RNs for NICU positions, those in competitive markets will demand a higher level of training, and any tertiary level hospitals are more likely to want the NICU nurse to have additional degrees.

The next degree for the person who would like to become a NICU nurse is a master’s of science in nursing or a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) degree. In most cases, application for these degrees require that nurses have some working experience, at least two to three years of field work. What many nurses end up doing to become a NICU nurse is to obtain work in pediatrics at a hospital that has a clinical nurse specialist degree in neonatal intensive care or pediatric intensive care. While remaining at work, they study and obtain a master’s degree. Some degree programs can be pursued online, and nurses should simply verify that their regions’ nursing board accepts these programs as fulfillment of requirements for a CNS.

As much as this expertise and training is vital to the person who would become a NICU nurse, it cannot be overstressed that personal characteristics are an important part of job success. NICU nurses are seldom successful when they don’t treat families with appropriate compassion and care, while balancing needs of caring for infants. These jobs can take an emotional toll on nurses too. Nurses will watch some of their patients die and be involved in the grief of parents on these occasions. Emotional health and ability to seek support for these tough times can make NICU nurses better and more empathetic caregivers, while neglecting the emotional impact of such times can cause caregiver strain, which harms career and personal life.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By anon121311 — On Oct 24, 2010

I am a sophomore and ever since middle school I have wanted to become a NICU nurse. This is some great information to help me find out more about the career I want to pursue.

By anon65832 — On Feb 16, 2010

I'm 12 years old and all my life i wanted to be a NICU nurse. In my elective we have to do a three page report on what we want to be when we get out of college.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/how-do-i-become-a-nicu-nurse.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.