Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program in Kentucky - KY

Neonatal nurse practitioner programs in Kentucky are entered into once a student has finished nursing school and earned his or her Kentucky registered nurse license. Schooling for NNPs consists of graduate studies. Students must furnish their registered nurse license number, establish professional goals, submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, and submit to a criminal background check prior to entry into most neonatal nurse practitioner programs. An average of 50 credit hours of classroom time is typical, as is about 600 hours of clinical experience. Courses include titles such as advanced assessment of the neonate, high risk clinical patients, neonatal pharmacology, statistics, evidence based nursing, and pathophysiology. In Kentucky, neonatal nurse practitioner education may be taken online, in a regular college or university setting, or as a combination of both educational scenarios.

Following graduation, those who wish to become licensed ARNPs (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners) in Kentucky must take and pass a national examination conferring certification in the neonatal specialty. The certifying body must be approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing. The National Certification Organization is the most commonly accepted certification agency for those in Kentucky who wish to become neonatal nurse practitioners. Examinations are given at AMP test centers, located within H & R Block Centers in Kentucky in Lexington and Louisville.