Rachael Long, BSN, RN, Blessed Beginnings nursery, Blessing Hospital, has earned the status of Registered Nurse Certified in Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing (RNC-NIC). She completed 2,000 hours of clinical care over the past two years and passed an examination to earn this national certification. She also holds national certification as a Registered Nurse Certified in Low Risk Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nursing (RNC-LRN).
“Obtaining these certifications wasn't to just pass a test,” Long said. “I wanted to increase my knowledge and better my nursing practice to provide the best quality of care that I can for the babies in our community.”
Blessed Beginnings’ neonatal nurses care for new mothers and their healthy newborns, and high-risk newborns ranging from full term to 32 weeks gestational age and as small as 3 pounds and needing extra support such as supplemental oxygen, assisted ventilation like CPAP, IV fluid and antibiotic therapy, enteral feedings, management of umbilical vein catheters, and other various procedures.
Long’s career began at Blessing Hospital as a patient care tech in the Cardiovascular Unit while she attended Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Upon graduation, Long worked with pediatric patients at Blessing before joining the Blessed Beginnings care team in 2019.
A Canton, Missouri resident, Long is a member of the Association of Neonatal Nursing.