Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
If you have two years of current level III NICU experience and are ready to take the next step, the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program has full-time (the only three semester program) or part-time options for your consideration. You will become an expert in neonatal care: working collaboratively to provide comprehensive care to pre-term and full-term newborns, attending high-risk deliveries, leading neonatal resuscitation and working with parents and families during times of intense stress.
Our Strengths
We are next door to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, one of the nation’s top academic medical centers. But most importantly, we are committed to the success of our students and their contribution in the world of advanced practice nursing. We offer a rigorous curriculum taught by doctorally prepared faculty and the opportunity to learn from leading neonatal practitioners, including neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, geneticists and specialists in the areas of pediatric surgery, endocrinology, neurology and pharmacology. Our students benefit from low faculty-to-student ratios and personalized attention. As a result, our students score well above the national average on the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner certification exam and are employed before or soon-after graduation from the program.
Our Curriculum
Working closely with your faculty, preceptors and alongside your classmates, you will develop diagnostic reasoning skills, evaluate advanced therapeutic interventions and work collaboratively with health care team members. Your curriculum will provide in-depth content about embryology, neonatal physiology, pathophysiology and family dynamics using a developmental approach. You will learn current management strategies and use evidence-based practice. Content is presented using case presentations, web-based, hands-on and problem-focused learning.
Graduation from this MSN specialty prepares you to take the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner certification exam offered by the National Certification Corporation. Applicants to the MSN or post-master’s certificate program must provide recommendations from an NNP and from a neonatologist that have worked with the applicant in a clinical setting.
Educational Formats
This specialty is taught only in the modified distance learning format, so working nurses do not need to give up employment or relocate to Nashville.
Career Opportunities
Our graduates typically work in:
- Neonatal intensive care nurseries (Level II, III, IV)
Interested in learning more about the NNP specialty? Watch a previously-recorded webinar (March 2023), which:
- Describes the program in detail
- Explains the application requirements
- Provides tips for preparing a competitive application
Yes I want to know more about Vanderbilt's NNP program.
