Minimum Qualifications
- Education: Graduate of an accredited school of nursing; completion of an accredited Nurse Practitioner/clinician program; Master's degree in nursing.
- Experience: Minimum of two years of experience and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) experience in a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
- Licensure/Registration/Certification: Current license to practice nursing in the state of Minnesota; certification as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner through NCC.
- Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Able to diagnose, prescribe medications and interventions, order and interpret laboratory and diagnostic tests, coordinate the interdisciplinary health‑care team, plan and coordinate patients' discharge, rehabilitation, home‑health care and follow‑up while ensuring continuity of care; able to perform procedures within scope and collaboration agreement; demonstrate current procedural competence; flexible to work within a smaller team and engaged in unit development and education.
Preferred Qualifications
None listed.
Position Summary
The Neonatal Nurse Practitioner functions as an associate of the supervising group of Neonatologists and coordinates patient care needs of high‑risk newborns within Regions Hospital. The practitioner is an advanced practice provider responsible for complete 24 hour/day, 7 days/week management of NICU Level II patients, assessment and management of patients including diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, and daily implementation and evaluation of an appropriate plan of care. The NNP is a participant in continuing education, staff development within perinatal services, and outreach programs to outlying hospitals.
Major Job Duties and Tasks
- Responsible for the primary care of neonates (age 0 to 30 days) in the NICU Level II (25%)
- Performs complete history: elicits records and interprets a complete health history including all obstetrical, medical, family, and psychosocial needs.
- Performs a complete newborn physical examination, assessment of gestational age, and can distinguish between normal and abnormal findings.
- Performs diagnostic and therapeutic procedures as necessary; orders appropriate lab tests and x‑rays; interprets findings and consults with physicians as needed.
- Based on physical examination and other data, formulates and implements a plan of care with expected outcomes; documents a problem list and revises the plan daily; records patient history, orders, and progress notes; participates in department team talks, daily patient safety huddles and rounds.
- Writes prescriptions as needed in accordance with Minnesota Board of nursing guidelines.
- Communicates with the attending physician, parents, nursing staff and other members of the health care team appropriate information about the newborn's diagnosis, plan of care and prognosis.
- Orders, interprets, and evaluates initial diagnostic tests to identify and assess infant's clinical problems and health care needs.
- Provides complex care coordination, managing ancillary services, pre‑operative plans, discharge planning, and clinician referrals; provides clinical direction to nursing staff regarding continued care and follows through to ensure recommended care is received.
- Supports education to and is a resource for the perinatal staff and outlying hospitals (25%)
- Initiates and participates in quality improvement activities and data collection to evaluate and improve patient care outcomes.
- Initiates and facilitates nursing research projects.
- Serves as a liaison and resource person regarding neonatal issues and care; provides continuing staff education and participates in staff development.
- Participates in teaching the NRP and STABLE programs.
- Assumes responsibility for maintaining certification and competence in clinical practice; continues professional development through attendance at meetings, conferences and CEU programs; maintains membership in professional organizations; participates in annual evaluation of job performance.
- Understands the concept of and is committed to Regions Hospital Mission and Vision by demonstrating behaviors consistent with the Mission and Vision Statements (25%)
- Daily contact with patients' families providing updates on plan of care, treatment, test results and answering any questions they may have.
- Maintains professional accountability; recognizes and understands the influence of culture, belief and family systems in improving and maintaining health; participates in a team approach for health care; serves as patient/family advocate.
- Models accountability by adapting to changes in health care, independently seeking learning opportunities, sharing knowledge, seeking out information about unit activities, demonstrating awareness and support of decisions made by the NICU Level II and hospital groups; recognizes and affirms the contribution of co‑workers.
- Attends all high‑risk deliveries and monitors high‑risk infant care in NICU Level II and Newborn observation (25%)
- Provides delivery room neonatal resuscitation and stabilization, involving observation, assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
- Communicates in a professional manner with the delivering provider, obstetric nurse, and parents of the infant regarding identified cares/needs.
- Will attend all deliveries where requested with support of NICU Level II RN or NRP trained obstetric RN; facilitates the transfer of neonates to/from other hospitals.
Organizational Expectations
Values: Excellence, Compassion, Partnership, Integrity.