More than one in 10 babies are born premature every year, that adds up to 15 million that are in need of intensive care. Nurses that pursue the Neonatal specialty work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or the NICU. With the amount of babies that are placed in the NICU due to their condition, it is necessary to have trained professionals taking care of them. However, these nurses face a challenging career. Neonatal nursing can become a very emotionally draining occupation to pursue. These nurses have to care for the babies that are born premature, or are at risk (Neonatal Nursing 2). Caring for babies that may not have a chance at life can be emotionally difficult. According to Pinfield, “A study showed that on average, each year 10% of babies are premature or have an illness that requires Neonatal care”. Pinfield also says that of all the infants that die before their first birthday, 70% die because they were born premature. NICU nurses see many babies in fatal condition which can be difficult emotionally. Leading up to the physical care of the babies, a lot of training required to become a Neonatal nurse. In the beginning stages of advancement into a graduate program, the NCLEX-RN exam is taken. After a completion of 500 hours of work in the NICU, a secondary exam is required to be a …show more content…
On average, Neonatal nurses make $89,960 a year, but their amount of experience can increase that amount (Nurse Journal 8). Chaplain says “We tend to work three 12 hour shifts every week, but if you take more or less, it will affect your salary”. In addition to hours and experience, the occupational outlook could also affect the average salary for Neonatal nurses. “The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted a growth rate of 31% for this nursing profession by 2022.” If the occupational outlook increases, pay may be lowered due to the amount of nurses with this