Module Summary

This module has been designed to enable nurses working within neonatal units to provide safe, compassionate and effective care for neonates and their families in special care and high dependency areas. The focus of this module is to provide and essential core skills required to care proficiently and theoretical knowledge holistically for newborns admitted to special care and high dependency nurseries. This module forms part of the neonatal pathway enabling registered nurses to become neonatal Qualified in Specialty (QIS).

Analysis of the physiology of major systems and systematic assessment will be undertaken by module participants in order to plan and evaluate evidence-based care. At the end of the module the participants will be able to assess, interpret physiological data and initiate interventions. Participants will be able to appreciate the role of the multidisciplinary team working in order to provide care throughout the neonatal journey.

Aims

• Critically analyse knowledge and understanding to be able to assess, plan, interpret and deliver holistic, appraised evidence-based care alongside multi-disciplinary team.

• Allow participants to evaluate and determine appropriate care interventions for neonates requiring special and high dependency care.

• Enable participants to identify deterioration and neonatal emergencies and escalate and select appropriately interventions within their limitations.

• Enable participants to determine readiness for discharge and plan transfers alongside discharge planners and multidisciplinary team.

• Promote and demonstrate partnership working with parents and carers in delivering family integrated care.

What and how students will learn on the module

There will be an introduction to LEAP, the virtual learning sight where you will find resources to support academic learning and development. There will be focused study days with the general themes as below. These will have taught elements, but each day will also contain group discussions on case studies which encourage critical analysis of the issues raised.

• Measuring neonatal quality and performance

• Life before birth

• Assessment and management of the newborn baby

• Support for families during the neonatal journey

• Thermoregulation and the newborn skin

• Neonatal hypoglycaemia

• Jaundice • Haematological conditions

• Retinopathy of prematurity

• Discharge planning

• Introduction to respiratory physiology

• Management of babies with respiratory compromise

• Causes of respiratory conditions

• Interpretation of blood gases

• Optimal nutritional management

• Breastfeeding

• Parenteral nutrition

• Introduction to management of GI conditions

• Neurological conditions

• Developmental care

• Pain management

• Neurodevelopmental outcomes

• Supporting parents through bereavement

• Simulation

• Workshops

• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia

• Complex discharges

• Academic support and development