A neonatal nurse or a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse works with newborns since their birth, up until the age of two. This could mean healthy babies, as well as prematurely born babies or babies born with diseases or malformations.
Neonatal nurses have various duties, from bathing, weighing and measuring the newborns, to checking vital signs, maintaining IV lines and drawing blood.
They assist births, but they can also witness the untimely deaths of infants, which is why NICU nurses must always be calm and composed. They also have to provide support for the families of the babies in times of distress, so empathy and sensitivity should come naturally to a neonatal nurse.
What Are the Steps to Becoming a Neonatal Nurse?
In order to do this, you must first become an RN, so the first step towards this profession is earning an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Then you need to pass the NCLEX® Exam and get certified as a registered nurse (RN).
As an RN, you need to gain at least two years of experience working with newborns. You can do this by working as a nurse in various departments such as pediatrics, maternal nursing, labor and delivery nursing, and well baby nursing.
After two years worth of clinical experience caring for newborns, you can work as a neonatal nurse. You don’t need a certification to do this, but if you want to broaden your career options, you can get certified in neonatal nursing, to validate your knowledge.
If you want to take your career a step further, you can choose to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. In order to do this, you must earn a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and get specialized in neonatal nursing.
According to their duties, neonatal nurses can be divided into three categories:
Level I neonatal nurses care for healthy babies;
Level II neonatal nurses are in charge of prematurely born and sick babies;
Level III neonatal nurses care for severely ill infants that need constant supervision.
How Much Do Neonatal Nurses Earn?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that between May 2016 and May 2017, registered nurses of all specializations brought in a median salary of $70,000 per year. However, the job platform ZipRecruiterstates that the average annual income for neonatal nurses in the US is $98,417, with a monthly wage of $8,201 and an hourly wage of $47.
They also published data on the average neonatal nurse salary in each American state. Since ZipRecruiter is a recruitment platform, all the data is in accordance with the market reality.
According to them, the highest paying state for neonatal nurses is New York, with an annual salary of $108,499, and the lowest paying state is North Carolina, with a yearly wage of $78,345.
Here is a list of all fifty states of the USA and their specific median wage for neonatal nurses, ranked from highest to lowest:
New York
Hourly Wage: $52.16 Annual Salary: $108,499
Massachusetts
Hourly Wage: $52.01 Annual Salary: $108,172
Maryland
Hourly Wage: $48.82 Annual Salary: $101,538
California
Hourly Wage: $48.27 Annual Salary: $100,399
Vermont
Hourly Wage: $48.04 Annual Salary: $99,915
West Virginia
Hourly Wage: $47.85 Annual Salary: $99,528
Alaska
Hourly Wage: $47.84 Annual Salary: $99,500
Nevada
Hourly Wage: $47.84 Annual Salary: $99,500
Montana
Hourly Wage: $47.84 Annual Salary: $99,500
North Dakota
Hourly Wage: $47.84 Annual Salary: $99,500
Wyoming
Hourly Wage: $47.84 Annual Salary: $99,500
Idaho
Hourly Wage: $47.84 Annual Salary: $99,500
Hawaii
Hourly Wage: $47.77 Annual Salary: $99,355
Washington
Hourly Wage: $47.53 Annual Salary: $98,862
Nebraska
Hourly Wage: $47.50 Annual Salary: $98,799
Connecticut
Hourly Wage: $46.96 Annual Salary: $97,675
Virginia
Hourly Wage: $46.90 Annual Salary: $97,562
Delaware
Hourly Wage: $46.67 Annual Salary: $97,083
Rhode Island
Hourly Wage: $46.54 Annual Salary: $96,793
New Hampshire
Hourly Wage: $46.31 Annual Salary: $96,331
Arizona
Hourly Wage: $46.26 Annual Salary: $96,213
Minnesota
Hourly Wage: $45.72 Annual Salary: $95,093
Pennsylvania
Hourly Wage: $45.35 Annual Salary: $94,321
Oregon
Hourly Wage: $45.34 Annual Salary: $94,314
Louisiana
Hourly Wage: $45.24 Annual Salary: $94,107
Colorado
Hourly Wage: $45.20 Annual Salary: $94,011
South Carolina
Hourly Wage: $45.02 Annual Salary: $93,636
Kansas
Hourly Wage: $45.01 Annual Salary: $93,628
South Dakota
Hourly Wage: $44.98 Annual Salary: $93,567
Iowa
Hourly Wage: $44.88 Annual Salary: $93,355
Kentucky
Hourly Wage: $44.75 Annual Salary: $93,088
Tennessee
Hourly Wage: $44.61 Annual Salary: $92,794
Indiana
Hourly Wage: $44.46 Annual Salary: $92,479
Oklahoma
Hourly Wage: $44.41 Annual Salary: $92,366
New Jersey
Hourly Wage: $44.40 Annual Salary: $92,348
Ohio
Hourly Wage: $44.38 Annual Salary: $92,319
Utah
Hourly Wage: $44.14 Annual Salary: $91,801
Alabama
Hourly Wage: $43.28 Annual Salary: $90,014
Wisconsin
Hourly Wage: $43.27 Annual Salary: $90,007
Georgia
Hourly Wage: $43.03 Annual Salary: $89,508
Texas
Hourly Wage: $42.99 Annual Salary: $89,410
New Mexico
Hourly Wage: $42.98 Annual Salary: $89,395
Mississippi
Hourly Wage: $42.59 Annual Salary: $88,584
Maine
Hourly Wage: $41.61 Annual Salary: $86,546
Michigan
Hourly Wage: $41.54 Annual Salary: $86,402
Illinois
Hourly Wage: $41.50 Annual Salary: $86,321
Arkansas
Hourly Wage: $41.28 Annual Salary: $85,868
Missouri
Hourly Wage: $41.19 Annual Salary: $85,676
Florida
Hourly Wage: $40.20 Annual Salary: $83,606
North Carolina
Hourly Wage: $37.67 Annual Salary: $78,345
Are you interested in Registered Nurse salaries in the United States? See our study on Nurse Salary by Stateand see which US state pays RNs the best.
Pediatric nurses use their knowledge and expertise to care for children, from birth, up until their teenage years. Their responsibilities include documenting the patient’s progress and assisting the doctors with tasks such as taking patient histories, checking vital signs or administering vaccines.
They have to be prepared to deal with any type of situation, like comforting a scared child or finding out relevant information from children who don’t know how to describe their symptoms.
Because they work with children of all ages, pediatric nurses need to have a certain set of personal qualities and skills that make them suitable to tend to the unique needs of children. A pediatric nurse should be respectful, communicative, intuitive, sensitive and most important of all, empathetic.
What steps do you need to follow if you want to become a pediatric nurse?
First, you have to become a certified RN, which means you have to either earn an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and then pass the Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Afterwards, you can get employed as a pediatric nurse.
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When you gain some experience in the field, you can further your education and become certified in pediatrics by getting an accreditation from the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.
Salary is an important aspect of any job, even when it comes to personally fulfilling professions such as the pediatric nurse one. So how much do pediatric nurses earn on average in the US?
Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the median salary for registered nurses in 2017 was $70,000, job sites such as ZipRecruiter state that the median wage for pediatric nurses, on the market is $55,725. For more experienced pediatric nurses, this sum can vary according to factors such as experience and education.
According to the data collected by ZipRecruiter, one of the most popular online job platforms, pediatric nurses in America earn on average $55,725 per year, with a $4,644 monthly wage and an hourly wage of $27.
If you are a pediatric nurse who is looking to relocate to a different state, then you are probably interested to know that the highest paying state in the US is New York, with an annual salary of $56,677, seconded by Massachusetts, which offers its pediatric nurses an average annual wage of $56,442 and followed closely by Maryland, with an annual salary of $53,067.
Here is a list of all the relevant information about the average pediatric nurse salary for each state, ranked from highest to lowest paying:
New York
Hourly Wage: $27.25 Annual Salary: $56,677
Massachusetts
Hourly Wage: $27.14 Annual Salary: $56,442
Maryland
Hourly Wage: $25.51 Annual Salary: $53,067
California
Hourly Wage: $25.25 Annual Salary: $52,526
Vermont
Hourly Wage: $25.00 Annual Salary: $52,005 Alaska
Hourly Wage: $25.00 Annual Salary: $52,000 South Carolina
Hourly Wage: $25.00 Annual Salary: $52,000 North Dakota
Hourly Wage: $20.88 Annual Salary: $43,429 North Carolina
Hourly Wage: $19.84 Annual Salary: $41,275
Want to know more about Registered Nurse salaries in the United States? Read our study on Nurse Salary by Stateand see in which part of the US RNs earn better wages.
Traveling nurse is a profession fit for those who like to combine work and leisure. It requires nurses to go to healthcare facilities that struggle with personnel shortage and work there for a specific amount of time. These assignments usually last from 4 to 13 weeks, during which most travel nurses perform tasks similar to those of a regular RN.
The travel nurse profession is one of the most sought out nurse professions out there, not only for the benefit of traveling the world but also because of the competitive wages it offers.
If you’re interested in becoming a travel nurse you need to either earn an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), which might soon become the norm for registered nurses in many states.
Travel nurses typically earn far more than regular nurses and their contracts include different base pays and benefits such as paid housing and travel costs reimbursement.
This is why calculating the annual salary of a travel nurse is a bit tricky. However, ZipRecruiter, one of the top job platforms out there, managed to collect data on travel nurse salaries across all 50 states of the USA.
In February 2019, ZipRecruiter reported that the average annual pay for a Travel Nurse in the United States is $92,734, with a monthly wage of $7,728 and an hourly wage of $45.
The highest paying state for travel nurses is New York, with a $101,365 travel nurse annual salary. This may be the case because the Big Apple is one of the most expensive US states to live in. Since travel nurses wages include both housing and travel expenses, it makes sense that the most expensive states to live in are the ones that offer the highest pay for travel nurses.
On the opposite end, North Carolina has a $73,820 travel nurse annual salary, which makes it the lowest paying state in America.
Here is a list with the best and worst paying states for travel nurses, ranked from highest to lowest pay:
Hourly wage: $37.34 Annual salary: $77,671 North Carolina
Hourly wage: $35.49 Annual salary: $73,820
If you’re interested in the average annual income for Registered Nurses of all career specialties, check out our Nurse Salaries in the USstudy and find out which are the happiest states for RNs, from a financial point of view.
I’m an LPN – Should I get an associate (ADN) or bachelor’s degree (BSN)?
If you’re pondering this question, you’re in the right place. Deciding which degree to get is a big decision and investment. The purpose of this blog is to give you an overview of the differences between an Associate Degree in Nursing and a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, including the advantages and disadvantages of each specifically for LPNs.
There are countless reasons why you should pursue a career in nursing. Nursing is not just an emotionally rewarding profession, it can also be a financially rewarding if you are willing to put in the effort required to advance in your career.
There are a few paths that you can take in order to enter the nursing field: You can opt to get an LPN certification then take the NCLEX-PN to become a licensed practical nurse, or you can choose a 2-year ADN program or a 4-year BSN program then take the NCLEX-RN exam to become an RN (registered nurse).
Whether you’re a fresh high school graduate who’s considering becoming a nurse or you’re simply unsatisfied with your current profession and think a career in health care would bring you the professional satisfaction that you so desire, earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) can be the fastest and most affordable way to become an RN.
What is an Associate Degree in Nursing?
An associate degree in nursing (ADN) can be earned after completing a two-year program, which will prepare you for the NCLEX-RN exam. After you pass the national licensure exam, you can start working as a registered nurse (RN). The ADN is a great option for people who want to start working as a registered nurse as soon as possible or who are simply not willing to commit to a BSN program right from the start.
You can view the ADN as being the first step on your nursing career ladder. After you earn it and start practicing, you have the option of furthering your education by going back to school while working and getting your BSN, such as enrolling in an RN-to-BSN bridge program.
If you have made the choice to jump-start your career with an ADN, this guide covers all the steps you have to follow in order to successfully apply, enroll and earn an associate degree in nursing.
How to Get Your Associate’s Degree in Nursing?
Here are the basic steps you need to follow in order to get your ADN and become a practicing registered nurse:
1. Get a high school diploma or a GED diploma. While some courses require little to no prior learner knowledge, others such as English, science, math and social sciences have prerequisite requirements, so you cannot enroll in an ADN program without having one of these diplomas.
2. Apply to an accredited ADN Program and go through the registration process. Employers favor nurses with degrees from accredited institutions, so the college you choose can impact the odds of you getting the job you want.
3. Apply for financial aid, if needed. Explore all options for paying the cost of your education. If you qualify for FA, be sure to make all the financial arrangements before classes start.
4. Attend the program and complete its requirements.
5. Register for and take the NCLEX-RN exam. You need to get licensed by The National Council Licensure Examination in order to be able to practice as an entry-level nurse. The NCLEX exam tests your competence in nursing skills and knowledge; you must pass the exam in order to become a licensed nurse.
You don’t have to wait until high school is over in order to start your nursing experience – there are some things you can do on your own to prepare for a nursing career before enrolling into an ADN program:
1. Get first aid or CPR training
For most high schools, a CPR certification is a requirement for graduation, but even if your high school doesn’t offer CPR training, find an organization that does. Learning these basic skills will prove really helpful for your future career as a nurse. You will get an inside glimpse into patient care, so consider it a test run in the field of health care professions. You can also get a part-time job as a lifeguard, which will give you some hands-on experience with CPR.
2. Volunteer in any kind of health care facility
Apart from being a rewarding experience in itself, volunteering in a health care environment will give you a behind-the-scenes look at nursing and help you understand this profession better. Seeing what nurses do in a day’s work will either be a deal breaker, or it will strengthen your conviction to pursue a nursing career.
3. Network with nurses
You probably have an acquaintance or an acquaintance of an acquaintance who works as a nurse and can introduce you to the nursing field. If that’s not the case, you can always set up some informational interviews with a few of the nurses at your local health care facility. They will most likely be flattered by your interest in their work and will provide you with all the insights and information you need.
At Nightingale College, we offer a 16- to 20-months’ ADN Program that is fully accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (ACEN) and will prepare you for entry-level nursing practice in hospitals, clinics, and other health care settings.
Our curriculum meets the standards of the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). We have a 78.95% NCLEX-RN® pass rate, which is a good indicator of our Program’s efficiency.
The Nightingale College ADN Program is a hybrid-virtual program which allows learners to complete all their didactic activities online and do experiential learning activities at our health care partner facilities, which are close to where learners live and gain the on-ground, hands-on experience.
ADN has been the standard for entering the nursing field for many years now, but the BSN in 10 law is about to change that. The law entails the increase of U.S. nurses holding BSNs to 80% by 2020, which is why many hospitals are prioritizing hiring nurses with BSNs in order to obtain the Magnet Status and achieve a reputation of improved patient outcomes. So many people are wondering whether or not the ADN is still worth it, and the answer is the ADN program is still relevant.
The shortage of nurses in the U.S. is a real thing and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of available nursing jobs in the U.S. is expected to the grow 15 percent from 2016 to 2026. It is simply not possible for all the ADN registered nurses out there to make the switch to BSN so quickly, or for colleges to provide that many BSN graduates by 2020. However, gaining a BSN degree may take a few months longer but will put you on the right career path and secure your future as a nurse.
Who Can Get an ADN?
An ADN program is meant to prepare learners for entry-level nursing jobs, which means no prior experience in the field or extensive knowledge of it is required.
However, becoming a nurse requires a great deal of self-discipline, as well as organizational and time management skills, so take that into consideration when you apply for an ADN program.
Who is the ADN Program Best Suited For?
The ADN is a great start to your nursing career, but before embarking on this journey, you need to do a self-examination. You know yourself better than anyone else, so this should not be hard: try to think about your personal traits and professional goals. If you feel you are an empathic, respectful person, with good communication skills and the ability to think on your feet in any kind of situation, it means you have the core traits of a nurse.
Now ask yourself whether you think this is the right profession for you and if you wish to enter a field where the learning process never stops and where you have to constantly better yourself. If the answer is yes, then being a nurse is probably a perfect fit for you.
If you find yourself in one of these three scenarios, then the ADN program is probably the right choice for you:
1. Jump-start your career with an ADN, the fastest way to become a practicing RN
Choose the ADN program if you have your mind set on the nursing profession and you want to be able to start working in the shortest period of time. You always have the chance to continue your education after you’ve gathered some hands-on experience in the nursing field and earn your BSN degree through an RN-to-BSN program.
2. Assess your finances: the ADN program is the most inexpensive way to become an RN
In order to achieve your goal to start working as a registered nurse, there are two paths down which you can go: get an ADN or get a BSN degree. The tuition fees for the ADN program are lower than the ones for the BSN program, so if you can’t afford to pay for a BSN program right now, enroll in the ADN program.
3. Continue your studies: Enroll in an ADN program to go from LPN to RN
If you already are a practicing LPN who wants to become an RN, and for some reason or another you don’t feel ready to commit to a 4-year BSN program, then ADN is your answer. Some colleges, such as Nightingale, offer advanced placement in the ADN program for qualified LPNs, so you can get your degree faster.
What are the Steps to Enroll in the ADN Program?
The enrollment process can appear to be quite daunting in the beginning, but your Admissions Advisor is there to help you throughout it. Follow the following steps in order to successfully enroll:
Schedule an interview with an Admissions Advisor (by calling (801) 689-2160 or sending an email to admissionsreception@nightingale.edu or simply Click Here to complete our Request Info form).
Meet the admissions requirements (find them in the College Catalog).
Submit official transcripts of all previous post-secondary coursework.
Schedule the entrance exam with your Admissions Advisor.
Can You Get Your ADN Online?
Given that nowadays you can complete many courses and get degrees fully online, you may wonder whether that’s the case with ADN as well. While there are some colleges that offer this option, Nightingale does not. We believe that during college, nurses must learn some hands-on skills, such as starting an IV or inserting a catheter, which is why our ADN Program is made up of two types of classes – classes that can be completed online and on-ground classes, which require learners to do experiential learning hours in a medical facility.
Tuition: How Much Does an Associate’s Degree in Nursing Cost?
The tuition for Nightingale’s ADN Program costs $825 per semester credit, without taking into account the nonrefundable application fee or any of the course resource fees. Before enrolling into the ADN program, make sure to check the costs for our ADN 16-month program and ADN with GE 20-months program.
Can you get financial aid for the ADN program?
Looking at the tuition fees can be somewhat overwhelming for someone who’s fresh out of high school, or someone who is in a financial pinch. But before you start worrying, look into all the Financial Aid options available for students and see which one better suits your needs and background.
You can opt for either loans or scholarships for Associate’s Degree in Nursing, but keep in mind that to maintain your Federal Student Aid, you must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements for each semester.
If you find this process too confusing, you can always get help and information from the financial staff at the college of your choice, or the U.S. Department of Education.
Nightingale also has an online Net Price Calculator that you can use to see how much learners with your profile paid to attend the College in a given year. It will show you the sum after grant aid and scholarships but before student loans.
How Long Does It Take to Get an ADN Degree?
You can graduate from the College’s ADN Program in as few as 16 months if the required GE courses have been completed, or you can enroll in the ADN with GE Program, and graduate in 20 months. You have the option of completing the General Education (GE) courses at the college of your choice or at another accredited institution of higher learning.
Nightingale College also offers advanced placement for qualified LPNs so you can get your ADN faster if you already are a licensed practical nurse.
What Classes Are Required in Order to Get an ADN?
The Program consists of didactic courses and experiential learning hours. The curriculum for the ADN usually covers these subjects:
Human Anatomy
Human Physiology
Psychology
Biology
Nutrition
Physiology
English
Mathematics
Social Sciences
What Skills Will You Acquire During the ADN Program?
The goal of the ADN Program is to prepare learners to become competent and client-centered nurses, who can provide patients with the best care possible. ADN graduates are equipped with nursing judgment expertise, they learn how to communicate effectively, with patients and fellow RNs, and they also acquire leadership and management skills that can help them further down their career.
What Do You Do After You Finish the ADN Program?
The obvious next step after finishing the ADN Program is taking the NCLEX-RN, and getting your nursing license. In fact, a few weeks before graduation, you will receive the exam application forms from your university and you will be required to pay the licensure fees.
The NCLEX-RN is meant to determine if you are qualified to be a practicing nurse, and it is quite different from the exams in nursing school because it focuses on testing your critical thinking abilities, nursing judgment and analysis skills, instead of your just knowledge.
The exam has a complex structure and is divided into 4 main categories:
safe and effective care environment
health promotion and maintenance
psychosocial integrity
physiological integrity
The grading system is pass or fail, so the results are straightforward and won’t leave cause for discussion.
Where Can Nurses with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing Work?
An ADN program prepares you for all sorts of entry-level nursing jobs. These are some of the places where you can work as an RN with an ADN:
General hospitals
Specialized hospitals
Nursing care facilities
Doctor’s offices
Community care facilities
Outpatient clinics
Home healthcare
How Much Does an RN with an ADN Win?
All RNs who have similar entry-level jobs should be paid the same. There shouldn’t be a difference of salary between an RN with ADN and an RN with BSN who hold the same position.
If you are interested in the number aspect of RN salaries, you can visit our article about nurse salaries by state.
Now that you have all this information regarding an ADN, your journey toward becoming an RN can begin. Think well about your motivation and career plan and then enroll in the program that best suits your needs. Give it your best, attend classes, meet all the requirements and you’ll be on the right track to becoming a practicing RN.