Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
Position Summary
The Neonatal Nurse Practitioner provides advanced practice nursing care to neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and/or newborn nursery. This role focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, and management of high-risk and critically ill newborns in collaboration with neonatologists and multidisciplinary care teams.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide comprehensive care to premature, critically ill, and medically complex neonates
- Perform neonatal assessments, admissions, and daily patient management
- Diagnose and manage acute and chronic neonatal conditions
- Develop and implement individualized plans of care
- Perform procedures within scope of practice, including intubation, line placement, and resuscitation as credentialed
- Monitor patient response to treatment and adjust care plans as needed
- Participate in neonatal resuscitations and high-risk deliveries
- Collaborate with neonatologists, nursing staff, respiratory therapy, and ancillary services
- Educate and support families regarding neonatal conditions and care plans
- Participate in discharge planning and continuity of care
- Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant documentation in the electronic health record
- Support quality improvement, patient safety, and regulatory compliance initiatives
Practice Setting
- Neonatal intensive care unit and/or newborn nursery
- Level II–IV NICU depending on facility
- Shift-based coverage, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays as required
Patient Population
- Premature and term neonates
- Infants with respiratory, cardiac, neurologic, infectious, and congenital conditions
Qualifications
- Master’s or Doctoral degree in Nursing
- Graduate of an accredited Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program
- National board certification as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Eligible for unrestricted nurse practitioner licensure in the practicing state
- DEA registration or eligibility
- NRP certification (or ability to obtain)
Skills & Competencies
- Advanced neonatal assessment and critical thinking skills
- Ability to manage high-acuity neonatal patients
- Strong procedural and clinical decision-making abilities
- Excellent communication and family-centered care skills
- Ability to work effectively in a high-intensity, team-based environment
Work Environment
- Hospital-based neonatal care setting
- Multidisciplinary NICU care model
- Fast-paced, high-acuity clinical environment