The Four Main Responsibilities Of A Neonatal Nurse

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Working in neonatal care is one of the most rewarding jobs, but it can also be difficult, as well. Since you are dealing with fragile babies who need more care than a normal infant, it can be challenging, especially if the baby doesn't end up surviving while in the NICU. However, working in neonatal care is more often rewarding because babies tend to come out of their difficult times and are eventually able to go home with their parents. Aside from these emotional challenges, here are the four main responsibilities you must be able to handle:

1. Providing All Medical Care for Baby: Once the baby is in NICU, you are there with the baby more than any other medical professional. This means you are administering IVs, medications, and providing feeding assistance, as well. You are also going to be completing daily assessments on the babies in the NICU to mark their developments. This way, certain measures can be made in determining whether or not the baby needs more specific care or if they are getting well enough to potentially go home with their parents soon. 
2. Educating the Parents: Not many parents are aware of the challenges that come with caring for an infant that has been through the trauma a NICU infant has been through. After all, birthing and parenting classes many parents take before the arrival of their baby only deal with issues involving normal births and healthy babies. As a NICU nurse, you are going to have to educate the parents on what specific care they need to continue once the baby goes home. This also includes discussing potential symptoms that indicate the parents need to bring the baby to the emergency room right away. 
3. Stabilizing Baby After Birth: If it is known that the baby being delivered is going to need extra care, for example, a baby that is being born premature, you will need to be in the delivery room and able to stabilize baby as soon as they are born. This includes hooking baby up to equipment to help them breathe so that they are soon able to be on their own without mom. 
4. Mostly Work for Hospitals: As a neonatal nurse, you are mostly going to be working in hospitals. However, you can also get a position with a medical transport company. This means you are on call when someone calls for an ambulance because the baby is being born outside of the hospital because the mom didn't make it to the hospital on time or didn't realize she was in labor until it was too late. 

When you know these four main responsibilities, you can be sure that you better understand your role as a neonatal nurse once you are ready to begin your education in the field. For more information about becoming a neonatal nurse, contact a business such as Kidz Medical Services. 

16 June 2017