2025 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
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 )
Nephrology Nurse
Assists patients with kidney diseases or disorders , including dialysis , management of the disease and any subsequent rehabilitation .
n ASN / ADN ( BSN preferred ) n CNN , CDN , and CNN-NP administered by the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission n 3,000 hours experience in nephrology nursing within three years n CNN , CDN , CNN-NP n Acute / critical care in hospitals , nephrology / dialysis clinics , transplant units and home care n American Nephrology Nurses ’ Association ( www . annanurse . org )
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