Neonatal nurse practitioners: a descriptive evaluation of an advanced practice role.

This article describes the introduction of the neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) role into a neonatal intensive care unit and reports the opinions and attitudes of physicians, registered nurses, and families regarding the NNP role. In addition, an overview of NNP education and credentialing mechanisms is presented. Surveys were used to assess the opinions and attitudes of obstetricians, pediatricians, family practitioners, registered nurses, and parents. The response rate ranged between 42 percent and 56 percent depending on the group surveyed. In general, both professionals and families were very satisfied with the clinical skills, knowledge base, and contributions to patient care that the NNP provided. Several different advantages and disadvantages to the NNP role in the NICU were identified by each professional group and by the parents.