Our Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) postgraduate certificate is for advanced practice registered nurses who want to expand their knowledge to a neonatal population.
The NNP is an acute care advanced practice role. You provide care for high-risk infants, from birth through the first two years of life.
Our program prepares experienced neonatal nurses to work collaboratively with neonatologists. Together, you provide care to infants and their families in the neonatal intensive and intermediate care settings.
You will learn to manage these complex health care needs in an inpatient neonatal setting, such as the neonatal intensive care unit or intermediate care nursery. NNPs collaborate with an interprofessional team to provide optimal patient care.
Our Approach
You learn from faculty who are active practitioners at a top-tier academic medical center, RUSH University Medical Center.
This means many program advisers and clinical faculty are practicing nurse practitioners who have clinical experience that will enrich your learning.
Program Length and Location
This is a part-time program with coursework delivered online in a compressed format.
The program requires a three-day campus visit, which maximizes interaction between students and faculty.
Campus visits also provide learning opportunities difficult to achieve online.
Clinical practicum sites are available at RUSH University Medical Center and at select sites in the Chicago area.
Sites may include your home unit or other neonatal settings in your geographic area that meet program requirements.
Due to different state regulations and limitations, we can’t guarantee clinical practica placement if you move to another state.
As a distance student, you must initiate contact with qualified local preceptors. The program director will evaluate all practice sites and preceptors to guarantee that educational objectives will be met.
We have been successful in negotiating most distance clinical practicum contracts, but success is not guaranteed.
We may also need to be a recognized provider by the board of nursing in your state. For these reasons, we encourage you to start planning your clinical practicum experiences as early as possible.
Program Tuition
At RUSH University, we know your education is a big investment. We want to make sure you have all the information to be able to make the best financial decisions for you and your family.
Tuition for the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate program is $1,344 per credit hour.
Get a firsthand perspective about the College of Nursing experience from our students and alumni.
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate Career Opportunities
Graduates are prepared to practice in normal newborn, intermediate and intensive care settings.
You will use your knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology and physiology to perform the following:
- Attend high-risk deliveries
- Consult and collaborate with interprofessional team members
- Evaluate diagnostic and clinical data
- Manage critically ill and convalescing newborns
- Perform advanced physical assessments
- Support and educate caregivers
Additionally, your responsibilities will include the following advanced practice clinical skills:
- Delivery room management of the neonate
- Intubation
- Lumbar puncture
- Percutaneous arterial line insertion
- Umbilical line insertion
Employment of nurse practitioners is expected to grow 40% from 2021-31. This is much faster than the average for other professions.
College of NursingAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Women, Children and Family Nursing
College of NursingAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Women, Children and Family Nursing
College of Nursing
Elizabeth Miranda
Admissions Specialist
elizabeth_m_miranda@rush.edu
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