Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate

The Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate Program is designed for APRNs who wish to expand their knowledge and scope to include the neonatal population. The program prepares you to provide care for high-risk neonates, infants and children up to two years of age. Students attain specialized knowledge and skills to provide high-quality care and promote wellness for this highly specialized patient population. 

At Rush, you'll learn to work collaboratively with interprofessional teams to manage the complex physiologic needs of critically ill neonates and ensure optimal outcomes for them and their families in neonatal intensive care settings. This is achieved through foundational neonatal courses, as well as progressive neonatal management didactic learning to pair with clinical practicum in level III or IV NICU sites. You will be required to attend an in-person, three-day campus visit event prior to beginning clinical practicum.

You can find information on eligibility, including prerequisites, guidelines and restrictions, on the program’s Admissions page.

You need at least two years of recent full-time level III or level IV neonatal experience before starting the clinical portion of the certificate program. If you are an APRN practicing in a specialty other than neonatology, you will need to return to the bedside RN role in the NICU to be considered eligible for this certificate program.

This program is designed to be completed online with some in-person requirements, including a three-day campus visit.

The program takes two years to complete.

At Rush, your neonatal faculty are all doctorally prepared and current practicing board certified neonatal nurse practitioners at top-tier institutions across the country. This ensures faculty remain up to date with trends in neonatal care with the ability to impart a variety of perspectives to the student body. And our clinical placement teams support both local and distance students in securing clinical practicum placements.

Yes. At the completion of this postgraduate certificate program, you will be eligible to sit for the National Certification Corporation (NCC) board exam for neonatal nurse practitioners. Our graduates have exceptional first-time board pass rates.

Beyond assigned dedicated advisors in the neonatal faculty, Rush offers many support services for our students through Student Affairs and the Office of Student Financial Aid.