The Status of US Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Education in 2015–2016

Abstract

Numerous graduate nursing programs have been established across the United States in the last 30 years or more to prepare nurses for the expanded role of the neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP). These programs were initially hospital-based certificate programs open to nurses with diplomas or associate’s degrees as well as those with bachelor’s degrees, and they ranged from 6 to 9 months in length, including didactic and clinical components. In the 1980s, these NNP programs moved into schools of nursing and became part of the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program with a prerequisite baccalaureate nursing degree and lasting 1 to 2 additional years. In the past decade, many colleges of nursing have taken the position that the knowledge required and the responsibilities assumed by NNPs (and all other advanced practice nurses) are more consistent with doctoral level preparation—specifically the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree—typically requiring 3 or more additional years of study after the baccalaureate. DNP programs for NNP preparation have now been established in several locations, sometimes replacing existing MSN programs. Due to concerns over closure of NNP programs and the changes related to DNP preparation, we surveyed the surviving NNP education programs that include both MSN and DNP degrees. We describe the status of these programs in 2015, along with challenges and barriers identified. We offer some strategies and responses to sustain the future of this important specialty nursing practice.