South African neonatal nurse specialization – is professional licensing justifiable?

Abstract

Neonatal nursing is currently not acknowledged as a clinical nurse specialization in the South African context. It is argued that neonatal nursing meets all criteria for designating nursing specialists as specified by the International Council of Nursing. A competency framework is proposed aligned with the country's qualification framework. Acknowledgement of neonatal nurses as clinical nurse specialists is expected to influence policy in education and clinical practice that in turn will influence neonatal care practices and outcomes for preterm and critically ill neonates and their families.