How long does it take to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner?
I’ve tried to find this out everywhere…IN TOTAL including training, schooling and everything how long does it take?
P.s How much schooling difference is it to be just a Neonatal Nurse instead?
To be an NP you would have to get a your BSN and at least 2 years of nursing experience before taking the NP masters program (2-3 years). In 2015 the requirement for NP becomes a PhD.
You would probably need a BSN, which is a 4 year degree. So, if u include let’s say 2 years of prerequisites…your looking at about 6 years before you have the required educational background, depending if you’ve got any prereques done. But that won’t include how long it will take for you to get a job like that. I doubt anyone starts in neonatal care. You would start in maternity or pediatrics and gain a porfolio before you’d be considered to care for sick newborns.
FYI to be correct, the NP degree will be a DNP (doctor of nursing practice NOT a PhD–big difference).
To become anything you need to get the bachelors RN first which is 4 years through a university nursing program. Then you would need to get hired in the neonatal department (however long that took). After at least 2 years experience in the NICU you would apply to the NNP program which is about 3 years.
Any nurse (neonatal of ortherwise) is an RN through either the associates route or the bachelors route.