Neonatal nurses serve one of the most vulnerable populations among us — infants.

Given the extreme care one must take with the tiniest of humans, it’s no surprise that neonatal training is taken very seriously. For experienced neonatal nurses, the natural next step in their career is often becoming a neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP).

“Graduate programs in neonatology require significant time and financial commitments on the part of students,” says Professor Sandra Bellini, director of the Neonatal Advanced Practice Programs at the UConn School of Nursing.

So where can neonatal graduate students receive some of the best training and return on their investment? UConn — according to RegisteredNursing.org.

The nursing advocacy organization recently ranked UConn’s neonatal nursing master’s degree as the No. 5 hybrid/online program in the country for registered nurses looking to further their education. This is the second year in a row the program has been recognized by the advocacy group.

“We are very fortunate here at UConn to have such a qualified pool of applicants from across the country and a dedicated team of NNP faculty,” Bellini says. “It allows us to make a real investment in the educational success of our students.”

RegisteredNursing.org evaluated nursing programs on several factors that represent how well students are supported during school, toward licensure, and beyond.

UConn’s 44-credit neonatal program is taught by School of Nursing faculty who are experienced neonatal practitioners actively working in the field. Coursework is completely online with three on-campus visits over the course of the program. After finishing the program, graduates are prepared to work as neonatal nurse practitioners, and are eligible to apply for the neonatal nurse practitioner exam given by the National Certification Corporation for the Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Specialties.

For more information about the School of Nursing’s neonatal master’s degree, visit neonatal-nursing.online.uconn.edu.