This article will give you an idea about the average earning of a neonatal nurse, so all of you aspiring to be one can get an idea of what to expect money-wise.
Nursing has been a dream career for many young women. This career can be financially rewarding and help you get a lot of job satisfaction. The requirements for becoming a nurse are quite challenging and you need to have a lot of energy, dedication and professionalism to succeed in this brilliant career. When this is all focused on a just-born baby, the level of responsibility increases tenfold. This article will tell you about what you can expect from the job profile and salary of a neonatal nurse.
Profile of a Neonatal Nurse
Neonatal nurses are supposed to take care of newborn babies under the guidance of the specialist doctors. Giving medicines and constantly monitoring the health of the baby and reporting about the same to the doctor are the important tasks of a neonatal nurse. These nurses also indulge in activities such as preserving health records of babies, which assists in further research, taking the baby’s body temperature, guiding parents about taking care of the baby and maintaining its good health and asking special care in the case of babies suffering from respiratory disorders.
How much a neonatal nurse makes depends on the educational qualifications of the nurse and her level of experience. While some nurses become neonatal nurses with a diploma in neonatal nursing, their salaries will not be as high as those having completed their Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in the field of neonatal nursing. Candidates with proper certifications of recognized institutions and having a postgraduate degree are believed to have a deeper knowledge of the subject and hence they are rewarded with higher salaries. Now, in the next section, let us know how much money a neonatal nurse makes a year.
Salaries for Neonatal Nurses
The salary range of a neonatal nurse is quite wide and as said above, your qualifications, kind of employer, and qualifications will decide your salary. Neonatal nurses working for top-notch hospital chains will naturally make more money than those working for the smaller hospitals. They make around $50,000 for the initial few years in this field. Nurses with two to four years of practical experience can expect to earn anything between $55,000 to $65,000 per year, while those nurses having eight to ten years of experience earn between $65,000 to $70,000 per year. Those having more than ten years of experience can make in excess of $72,000 per year. Apart from the fixed salary, neonatal nurses can expect to get performance based incentives, attractive bonuses, health insurance facilities and perks from their employers.
The salaries for neonatal nurses can be higher in places such as New York, Texas and Washington as compared to smaller places. The salaries are also exceptionally higher in many European countries. The growing population in Asian countries and steady growth of the health care sector there with the opening of new hospitals has led to rise in neonatal nurse recruitment at high salaries. Thus, in short, there are openings for this post all around the world for the right candidates.
Nursing requires candidates to be physically and mentally fit with a deep love for the job and ability to work hard and also at irregular hours. If you have these qualities, then you can surely try for a career in nursing. Good luck and do well!