Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant Program

The Neonatal nurse practitioner and physician assistant program at the University of New Mexico Children's Hospital was established in 1976, with two nurse practitioners in the group.  Since then it has grown to as many as 22 in the group.  The NNP/PA's are involved in every aspect of neonatal care in the NICU, as well as training and education outside of the unit and on transport.   

• The NNP/PA role at UNM is key to the management of patients in the NICU.  In addition to the daily patient management, duties include admissions, procedures, discharges, teaching, and attending deliveries. 
• The NNP and PA's actively participate in the training of pediatric, emergency medicine, and family practice resident's, as well as neonatology fellows.   
• NNP/PA's work 12 to 24 hour shifts and receive a very generous benefit package, including annual leave, sick leave, paid educational leave, and an extensive holiday leave benefit.  
• Educational opportunities for the NNP/PA's exist almost daily. 

The NICU at the University of New Mexico is composed of an integrated team of specialists that provide compassionate, evidence-based care for critically ill newborns from around the great state of New Mexico and neighboring states. The state-of-the-art NICU at UNM encompasses 52 beds, with an additional 12 intermediate care nursery beds.
Our Neonatologists and NNP/PA's participate in multiple institutional and national research projects.