American Academy of Pediatrics Supports Training for Nurses in the NICU 

In a new clinical report, the American Academy of Pediatrics supports the continued use of advanced practice registered nurses in neonatal care. The report, “Advanced Practice Nursing in Neonatology,” observes that traditionally, neonatal nurse practitioners and neonatal clinical nurse specialists were the two roles well established within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Due to a shortage of nurses, some institutions have turned towards pediatric nurse practitioners (acute and primary care) and family nurse practitioners to meet patient care needs. The guidance, published in September 2025 Pediatrics (published August 25 online), reviews how different types of nurse practitioners can safely and effectively care for babies in the neonatal intensive care unit, depending on their clinical training, education, and certification. While the number of births has gone down, the number of babies admitted to NICUs has gone up. At the same time, many neonatal nurse practitioners are working long extra hours, which has led to burnout and fewer nurses able to train the next generation. To fix this shortage, more support is needed for nurse training programs and for students who want to enter this field, according to the report. Clinical reports created by AAP are written by medical experts, reflect the latest evidence in the field, and go through several rounds of peer review before being approved by the AAP Board of Directors and published in Pediatrics. To request an embargoed copy of the clinical report or an interview with an expert, contact AAP Public Affairs.  

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.