2024 Career Planning Guide
NURSING SPECIALITIES KEY : n Minimum Education required n Certifications required n Experience needed n Certification credential n Possible employment n Professional Organization n References / Resources
Missionary Nurse
Provide healthcare and spiritual care in other countries . Set up clinics in under-served areas , educate patients on self- care and often participate in humanitarian work .
n RN , ASN / ADN or BSN
n No certification . Some missionary nurses pursue seminary / religious training and / or foreign language education . n Foreign / developing countries
n No general association . Various organizations such as Mennonite Nurses Association , Global Ministries of Missionary Nurses , Nurses for Africa , and Nurses Christian Fellowship .
Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse
NICU nurses provide 24-hour care for premature or ill newborns ( and their families ), including assessment , feeding , developmen- tal care , treatments , medications , continuous monitoring and neonatal transport . Nurses manage these critically ill infants including those that require cardio-respiratory support , me- chanical ventilation , post-operative care and complex drug infusions . NICU nurses support and educate the newborn ’ s family and act as patient advocates . With graduate prepara- tion and additional certification , neonatal nurses can become advanced practice nurses as Neonatal Nurse Practitioners ( NNP ) or Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialists ( NCNS ).
n ASN / ADN ( BSN preferred ) n RNC-NIC , RNC-LRN
n 24-months specialty experience as a U . S . or Canadian RN comprised of a minimum of 2,000 hours . ( This must have occurred sometime in your career .) Specialty experience can be comprised of direct patient care , education , administration or research . Employment in the specialty must have occurred sometime in the last 24 months . Both practice time and hours must be met .
n RNC-NIC , RNC-LRN n Hospitals ( Acute Care settings ) n National Association of Neonatal Nurses ( www . nann . org ) n Academy of Neonatal Nursing ( www . academyofneonatalnursing . org )
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