Neonatal Nurse’s work environment

To say Neonatal Nurse, is to relate it directly to newborn babies and the care that it is good to perform. But thinking about it, that goes far beyond that, it involves a whole series of tasks to be performed little known to many.

And all of this is done in a somewhat stressful work environment, since you have to stay in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) when that little one has a health complication.

The baby can stay in the NICU for as long as necessary, and in the meantime, is under the care of a competent professional who will provide care and attention to restore the baby’s health.

Until the patient is in adequate condition, the Neonatal Nurse will not stop caring for him/her.

Responsibilities of being a Neonatal Nurse

The neonatal nurse has a number of responsibilities and duties to fulfill, which make her work environment a rewarding challenge in the best of cases, let’s see what they are:

  • Must be able to ensure adequate patient care.
  • Create fully customized care plans.
  • Keeping track of and documenting the progress of each patient in your care.
  • Have an extraordinary ability to observe the patient’s progress.

Work Environment Where a Neonatal Nurse Works

It can be said that a Neonatal Nurse can work in a variety of places, from a nursery, doctor’s offices, maternity centers, to a hospital. In each of them there are patients with different pathologies that require personalized attention.

It can be said that many are those who work with high pressure due to the conditions of the patients, while others are in charge of healthy patients. Regardless of their performance in a hospital environment, they must have certain skills to keep in constant communication with parents and relatives.

They should try to be empathetic and understand the situation the family members are going through.

Neonatal Nurses can also work in labor and delivery rooms, helping to ensure that the entire birthing process goes smoothly, as well as monitoring the vital signs of the mother and, of course, the child.

Similarly, another work environment where neonatal nurses work is usually after delivery, when they have to attend to mothers and babies until they have to be discharged.

Another of the conditions in which a nurse works is in the newborn nursery. In this room are the children who have just been born and who under some circumstances present some delicate health condition.

Likewise, it can be mentioned that another of the work environments in which the nurse is able to perform is advising the mother and father in relation to all the questions they have to ask, in relation to the care of the baby.

The staff accompanying them

Neonatal nurses, and especially those who intervene during labor, must necessarily work with a specialized team to attend deliveries, that is, physicians and other nurses.

It should be remembered that her work is relevant to ensure the stability of the mother, especially because she must be vigilant in monitoring the vital signs of both the mother and the baby.

Other important aspects to know

The work performed by a Neonatal Nurse is usually quite complicated and demanding, not only from an emotional point of view, but also physically. It is important to know that these professionals usually spend long hours on their feet in the various rooms where they work.

Their work involves performing it under conditions in which they must necessarily do it standing up, since they may be attending a labor or even giving treatment to a patient at risk. All this is quite an exhausting job, which the Neonatal Nurse must face with responsibility and self-sacrifice.

Summary

It can be said that every job takes place in an environment that requires a certain amount of pressure, however, the job of a Neonatal Nurse involves working 12 hours or more caring for newborns who are in good health and those with complications.

In addition to the above, you must support the process of parental acceptance of the arrival of their child into the world and how he or she should be cared for.

All this and many other things implies a lot of effort and dedication, often in a competitive environment, under pressure and next to other important professionals.

Marlene J. Shockley

My name is Marlene J. Shockley, and I am a Registered Nurse (RN). I have always been interested in helping people and Nursing seemed like the perfect career for me. After completing my Nursing Degree, I worked in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and home health care. I have also had the opportunity to work as a Travelling Nurse, which has allowed me to see different parts of the country and meet new people. No matter where I am working, I enjoy getting to know my patients and their families and helping them through whatever medical challenges they may be facing.