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Neonatal nurses care for newborn children in their first days of life. This advanced practice of nursing often takes place in the neonatal wards of hospitals. Once a mother gives birth, her baby is cared for and examined by doctors and nurses in the neonatal ward. Healthy babies are only kept for a short time before they are returned to their mother, whereas sick babies are kept longer for observation and treatment.
There are three kinds of neonatal nurseries within a major hospital. The first is the Level I, which is the nursery where all the well babies are kept when they are not in the hospital rooms with their mothers. Luckily, a majority of babies are either born healthy or stabilize to good health very rapidly. Other babies are not so lucky, however. Level II of a neonatal ward is a special ward for babies who need extra care after birth, such as oxygen. Level III is the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, which is for sickly babies who can not be treated in Level I or II.
Neonatal nurses are needed throughout the neonatal ward. Those who are trained in advanced critical care will more than likely work in one of the upper levels. The career of a neonatal nurse can be both emotionally rewarding and taxing. However, these advanced nurses are compensated well in salary and are revered in the nursing industry as being some of the most skilled and compassionate professionals.