NNP Enrollment Gap: Insights From NICU Nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Advanced Practice Nursing
• Neonatal Care

Background:

• The Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) workforce is declining due to decreased enrollment and an aging workforce.
• Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses are the primary candidates for NNP programs.
• Limited research exists on NICU nurses' intentions and barriers to advanced education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore NICU nurses' intentions to pursue advanced practice nursing education.
• To identify perceived barriers to advanced practice nursing education among NICU nurses.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing random sampling and surveys.
• Surveys were distributed via NANN and social media platforms.
• Quantitative data analyzed using R, with qualitative responses thematically categorized.

Main Results:

• 531 NICU nurses completed the survey; most were under 40 with 7.6 years of experience.
• 77.8% of respondents intended to pursue further education.
• Key barriers included finances, work-life balance, autonomy, and responsibility, with work-life balance being the most cited concern.

Conclusions:

• Flexible NNP programs are essential to accommodate nurses' needs, particularly regarding work-life balance.
• Addressing barriers is crucial to sustain the NNP workforce and ensure specialized care for fragile infants.
• A decline in NNP graduates poses a risk to NICU care quality and infant outcomes.