Danielle Lipsey
Ms. Brockett
English 4 CP
02 November 2015
Saving New Lives According to The Premature Infant Advocacy Resource Guide, in the United States, 11.5% of births are preterm and such infants require special attention and care. Neonatal nurses provide the much-needed care for infants that are born without proper functions that will allow them to live a healthy life. Neonatal nurses specialize in many different types of care in order to help these particular infants. Units of care for infants range from premature development problems to serious respiratory and digestive problems. There are specific neonatal nurses that specialize in intensive care units in hospitals to take care of infants immediately after birth (NICU). …show more content…
Because there are different sickness and illnesses that an infant can be born with, there have to be different units of care for them. Neonatal nurses have three different levels that they can be a part of in the hospital ("What Can I Do Now? Exploring Careers For Your Future Nursing" 42). According to Neonatal Nurse Specialist Career Overview, Levels I, II, and III are completely different. In Level, I nurses are responsible for taking care of the generally healthy babies. These infants are born with minor issues that do not need close supervision. In Level II, premature babies and babies born with minor respiratory problems are taken care of. These infants require a little more attention than healthy infants. Neonatal nurses have to monitor and provide the necessary treatment to help make it easier for the infant to grow stronger and healthier. In Level III, the most severe infants are taken care of. These infants require twenty-four seven supervision and sometimes require immediate surgery after birth. Most infants in this unit are required to live in incubators and parents have to be taught how to care for them. Special training and extra education are administered to the neonatal nurses that work in Level III. Although each level requires different qualifications and training, they are all equally