Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program in Illinois - IL

By Jane Austin, allied health world contributing writer
Published: March, 18 2011

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Are you interested in enriching your knowledge of neonatal nursing and furthering your career? If the answer is yes, then you may a perfect fit for one of the neonatal nurse practitioner programs in Illinois. Overall, entry level job requirements for neonatal nurse practitioners in Illinois include: being registered as a nurse, maintaining a Master’s of Science in Nursing degree, receiving current neonatal resuscitation certification, and working in a hospital or clinical setting with the supervision of experienced neonatal nurses. In Illinois, most entry-level job opportunities require a minimum of 600 hours’ clinical training experience.

While most neonatal programs in Illinois award the master’s degree, there is definitely a trend occurring toward obtaining the doctorate degree. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners recommended in 2004 that all nurse practitioners obtain their doctoral degree by end of 2015. Programs generally include courses such as:

Advanced physiology and pathophysiology including principles that pertain to the lifespan
Advanced health assessment including techniques, concepts, and approaches
Advanced pharmacology

Essentially, the completion of a degree in this field will prepare you for dynamic job opportunities with some of the largest healthcare organizations throughout the state, including John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Evanston Hospital, Advocate Christ Medical Center, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.