The history of the neonatal nurse practitioner: reflections from "under the looking glass"

The neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) emerged in the 1970s. During the first two decades, nurses who functioned in this new advanced-practice role were forced to overcome interprofessional isolation, variable educational preparation, underutilization, and title ambiguity. However, after nearly 30 years of evolution influenced by the changing health care environment, technological advancements in newborn care, medical personnel shortages, and the advanced-practice nurse movement, the NNP is now a recognized member of the neonatal health care team nationwide. The NNP has achieved the level of provider status, but only after successfully overcoming many practice restrictions and restraints over the decades. This article chronicles the history of the NNP and recounts the external and internal elements that contributed to the development of this profession.