How Much Does Neonatal Nursing School Cost?

Nurses who like and are interested in infant care, who wish to enter advanced practice, may choose to enter a graduate program that will allow them to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP). Once you take a look at this article you will have an idea of how much neonatal nursing school costs.

A career as a neonatal nurse is often very rewarding, giving baby lovers the opportunity to provide vital care to newborn babies who are born premature, critically ill, or suffering from a number of health-threatening conditions.

Because nurses have a myriad of options for becoming an NNP, with a wide variety of graduate and doctoral programs available to them. Nurses who wish to continue their education through a neonatal nursing program must go through specialized training in order to care for neonatal patients.

Here are some of the best neonatal nursing programs available in the U.S:

University of Texas Arlington

The University of Texas-Arlington offers a wide range of study options including face-to-face and non-face-to-face or online classes. It offers part-time and full-time course loads.

Students are given the opportunity to work on their clinical rotations where they reside and must only come to the classroom campus twice during the term of the program to fulfill the residency requirement.

• It has a 94% NCLEX-RN pass rate.
• Duration 360 clinical hours and 6 credit hours.
• To be admitted you must currently be a nurse in good standing, submission of previous transcripts.
• Tuition averages $19,500 per year.
• Accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Northeastern Boston University

This online program is conducted through the Bouve School of Health Sciences. It provides a program to help nurses prepare for their role as an NNP. It is a fully online program, perfect for students who are currently working in nursing and wish to obtain additional certification.

Clinical rotations are calculated according to where you live and where you already work.

• It has a 100% NCLEX-RN pass rate.
• Duration 43 credit hours.
• Admission requires at least 2 years of NICU experience.
• Tuition averages $1,388 per credit hour for a total of $59,684 for the program,
• Accredited through the New England Association of Colleges and Universities.

University of Missouri-Kansas City

The University of Missouri – Kansas City offers a program that focuses on the care of neonatal patients and their family during the difficult time of coping with the reality of healthcare institutions.

This program ensures nurses to cope with any difficulties they may face while working in the Neonatal Unit.

• It has a 94% NCLEX-RN approval rate.
• Duration 45 credit hours.
• Admission requires experience and at least the equivalent of 2 years in the last few years of clinical practice as an RN in the NICU.
• Tuition averages $440.00 credit hour for a total of $20,426 for the program.
• CCNE Accredited

Rush University Chicago

Rush University in Chicago offers an online neonatal nursing program for those with a nursing job, with clinical rotations arranged locally. They use a case study format with small class sizes for the best possible individual utilization.

• It has a 97% NCLEX-RN pass rate.
• Duration 2.5 to 3.5 years part-time.
• Neonatal nursing experience is required for admission.
• Tuition averages $1066 per credit hour.
• Accredited by ACEN.

University of Alabama at Birmingham

The University of Alabama at Birmingham offers an online program that allows working nurses to earn their degree. Specialized courses are offered that are intended to help students prepare for work as neonatal nurses.

• It has a 97% NCLEX-RN pass rate.
• Duration 45 credit hours, 13 clinical hours and 600 hours of direct patient care.
• Admission requirements are that you are already a nurse and that you must visit campus 3 times during the six-semester program.
• Tuition averages $656 credit hour.
• It is accredited by CCNE

University of South Alabama

The University of South Alabama offers an online program with a mandatory three- to four-day orientation. Students must complete mandatory clinical hours with a qualified preceptor in their area. This program prepares to work in any hospital with neonatal patients.

• It has a 93% NCLEX-RN pass rate.
• The program is 45 credit hours in length with 600 direct care clinical hours. It can be taken full or part time.
• To be admitted you must be a nurse and have completed some prerequisite courses.
• Tuition averages $329 credit hour for in-state students and $658 for out-of-state students.
• It is accredited by CCNE.

University of Texas at Galveston

The University of Texas at Galveston has an MSN level neonatal nursing program for registered nurses with level III experience. It is 12 courses taken over 7 semesters online, with some on-campus intensives.

• It has a 90% NCLEX-RN pass rate.
• It has a duration of 7 semesters.
• It has a hospital affiliation.
• It is free of chargé.

Summary

Neonatal nurses require much more training than other nurses, given the sensitivity of caring for newborn infants. Neonatal nursing is not a profession that just anyone can do; it requires knowledge, compassion, and critical thinking skills.

It can be a stressful and challenging job at times, but the reward of knowing that you are making a difference in helping new people come into the world healthy and happy makes it worthwhile. In the United States there are hundreds of programs and opportunities to become a neonatal nurse, you just have to know what you want and take one of those options.