You can go anywhere from a 2 yr nursing program to a 4 year college degree program. You can, even with the 2 years, become an ICU nurse, but if you have the money and the time, obviously, becoming a nurse with a Bachelors,is much better in the long run. In the meantime, when you pick out your high school classes, focus on things like chemistry and biology. Anything that will make it easier when you start your nursing classes. You also, might want to check into local hospitals and find out if they have Candy Stripers. We have them in our hospital and a lot of them want to become nurses. It’s a good way to get the feel of a hospital and you’ll get some much needed experience with people and doctors and of course, nurses. I wish you much more than luck with this. Congratulations on having a goal. It makes my day.

You just need to have your RN license via an Associate Degree or BSN to obtain employment in a NICU. Once hired, there is specialized on the job training and classes you need. There probably is certification in Neonatal Nursing as there are in most nursing fields.

You may also get a Master’s Degree to go into a management role, or take Nurse Practioner training, usually about 2 more years, to be a clinical expert in that field.

If you want to email me with other questions, I’ll answer them. I work in a Hospital with an NICU and those nurses are great! I have a lot of respect for them. Good luck!