A person who desires to become a neonatal nurse must first become a registered nurse, a program of at least two years of focused study and practice. A bachelor of science in nursing is also a prerequisite.
One certification that is required to be a neonatal nurse is Neonatal Resuscitation. This is to make sure that nurses are familiar with the steps of resuscitation specifically for newborns. This is especially important if a nurse is dealing with a premature birth, as the baby may not be fully developed.
Another certification available for neonatal nurses is certification in Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing. This is a must for those nurses working in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). These nurses care for newborns "delivered pre-term (neonates) or at-term newborns who experience complications at the time of birth," according to Futures in Nursing.org.
There are also opportunities to become a neonatal nurse practitioner. This level of certification requires a master's of science in Nursing. Many schools offer this as a two-year Advanced Practice Neonatal Nursing (APNN) program, which is preparatory to licensing as a nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist.
Not only are neonatal nurse responsible for the care of the newborns, they are also very involved with the parents of these newborns. Especially in the NICU, the parents need reassurance and competent help in dealing with their babies' health complications so early in their lives.