Neonatal Nurses

Certification or Licensing

Neonatal nurses who work in critical care may earn the CCRN (Neonatal) credential from the AACN Certification Corporation, a subsidiary of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Applicants must hold an unrestricted registered nurse license and take and pass an examination. They also must complete one of the following clinical practice hour requirement options:

• Two-Year Option: Practice as a registered nurse (RN) or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) for 1,750 hours in direct care of acutely/critically ill neonatal patients during the previous two years, with 875 of those hours accrued in the most recent year preceding application
• Five-Year Option: Practice as an RN or APRN during the previous five years with a minimum of 2,000 hours in direct care of acutely/critically ill neonatal patients, with 144 of those hours accrued in the most recent year preceding application

The National Certification Corporation (https://www.nccwebsite.org/certification-exams) also provides a variety of certification credentials.

All states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories require a license to practice nursing. To obtain a license, graduates of approved nursing schools must pass a national examination and meet other requirements.