Some people choose to give back. That's the case with Kathleen Baker, a
neonatal nursing veteran. "In my childhood, I was very sick with four long
hospitalizations and felt like it was the natural thing to do."
But neonatal nursing wasn't an easy choice for Baker. She had one huge
roadblock to overcome -- Baker would faint at the sight of blood. "Many people
discourage good candidates from nursing if they dislike looking at blood and
guts. I'll be the first to admit, I practically faint at the sight of blood
and other bodily fluids!"
A sense of humor and unwavering dedication kept Baker pursuing her dream.
While in nursing school, she interviewed fellow nurses about job satisfaction.
What she found perfectly meshed with her career plans. Baker's interviews
indicated neonatal nurses experience less burnout and keep their posts longer.
"I like babies, the body secretion exposure is very minimal, and it's not
physically intensive.
"Flexibility is essential to nursing success. When you least expect it,
there are many situations when your assignment gets changed, you get interrupted
during your routine schedule, or the patient doesn't cooperate."
Keeping a clear head, a solid perspective and a light heart keeps situations
in control. "A sense of humor helps a nurse cope with certain demands of the
hospital administration and helps to build good relations with other health-care
workers."
Babies' parents are secondary patients. When a baby is healthy, the nurse
provides an important educational role. New moms must learn to breast-feed,
hold and care for their precious new additions. When a baby is sick, neonatal
nurses must console and comfort grieving parents. They educate as well as
care -- a very demanding role.
Gary Berringer, a Pennsylvania-based neonatal nurse practitioner, believes
that strong communication skills are the key to effective nursing. "You need
to be able to explain complicated things to parents in simple terms. A nurse
is nearly always teaching something. What we do today will affect the infant's
life tomorrow."
Berringer discovered his niche while he was a nursing student.
"During senior year of my undergraduate program, I had the opportunity to
work in a neonatal intensive care unit as part of the program requirements.
I decided I liked it."
Many years later, Berringer has received his master's degree in prenatal
nursing and is a certified neonatal nurse practitioner. "My job is fun in
the sense that I'm able to make decisions that have a positive effect on my
patients."
Berringer enjoys his profession, but he acknowledges a nursing career can
be busy and stressful. "My job is stressful in the sense that sometimes I
have many infants to care for. But it's fun to see parents love their infant
who you had a hand in saving."
Dr. Janet Pinelli doesn't just care for newborns -- she's also associate
professor and a coordinator of a neonatal master's program.
"I like the variety of diseases and developmental issues that this specialty
offers. I also like to teach and do research. This job allows me to do a variety
of things that I love."
Pulling double duty as a nurse and educator means some long hours. "My
clinician hours include nights, weekends, holidays and weekday work. My hours
of work vary from eight to 24 hours a day, and I work about 50 to 60 hours
a week. The biggest hazard is probably stress from the shift work and long
hours."
But Pinelli feels her career is worth the stress and hours. "Any day that
I've helped someone by providing excellent care or a life-saving procedure
is a great day!"