Neonatal nursing

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Neonatal Nursing

Neonatal nursing (/niːəˈneɪtəl/ 'nursing') is a subspecialty of nursing that works with newborn infants born with a variety of problems ranging from prematurity, birth defects, infection, cardiac malformations, and surgical problems. The neonatal period is defined as the first month of life; however, these newborns are often sick for months.

Etymology

The term "neonatal" comes from neo, "new", and natal, "pertaining to birth or origin".

Roles and Responsibilities

Neonatal nurses are a vital part of the neonatal care team. These registered nurses (RNs) are professionals who have specialized in caring for newborns in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), working closely with pediatricians, neonatal doctors, and parents to ensure the newborns receive the necessary medical care.

Education and Training

Neonatal nurses must be registered nurses with a bachelor's degree in nursing. They then need to gain experience in a neonatal unit before they can become a neonatal nurse. Some may also choose to achieve a master's degree or doctorate in neonatal nursing.

Related Terms

  • Premature birth: A birth that takes place more than three weeks before the baby's estimated due date.
  • Birth defect: A problem that occurs when a baby is developing in utero.
  • Infection: The invasion of an organism's body tissues by disease-causing agents.
  • Cardiac malformation: A problem with the structure of the heart present at birth.
  • Surgical problem: Any potential issue that may require surgical intervention.

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski