• Neonatal nurse practitioners go through rigorous educational programs to prepare them for work.baby image by Fabio Barni from Fotolia.com
  
  Advanced nursing in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be a very rewarding career choice. It takes patience and a strong will to help those who can't help themselves, even if it means experiencing some heartache along the way. There are a variety of neonatal nurse practitioner programs available, each of which offers similar classes. The required coursework varies from school to school, but there are several general types of mandatory classes.
  
  

Advanced Physiology

• Courses for neonatal nurse practitioners include advanced work in physiology and pathophysiology of the neonate. You will learn how a newborn's body works and any conditions that can interfere with this. Babies in the NICU are often at high risk because their bodies are malfunctioning, so knowing how to treat these children is a major part of the coursework for neonatal nurse practitioners. You will have extensive training about how the body develops so you can address the problems that can occur with premature birth. You will learn how to assess and evaluate which bodily systems are not functioning properly and how to treat neonatal disease processes.
  
  

Neonatal Pharmacology

• Pharmacology is the study of how medicine works in the body. Neonates often need medication to help them survive, so learning pharmacology as it pertains to infants is included in the required coursework for neonatal nurse practitioners. Babies react differently to medication than adults, so it's imperative for you to learn how to properly administer medication to a very young and possibly ill baby. Since nurse practitioners can write prescriptions, this is a major part of the coursework for the neonatal specialty. You must know when to use which medicine, when it's contraindicated, the side effects and how long it will take the medicine to work. All of this is included in your pharmacology classes.
  
  

Practica

• Every program requires students to have some hands-on experience in the NICU or other neonatal care unit. This is a major part of the curriculum as it allows you to put your book knowledge to the test in the real world. You assess neonates, make diagnoses, perform procedures and administer medication under the supervision of your instructor. This is the best learning experience you will have during the program so make the most of it.