Pros And Cons Of Neonatal Intensive Care Units

When providing a healthy and safe environment both inside and outside the nursery, there are factors myself and other practitioners need to consider; individual children and any specific needs they may have, for example at my work place we a baby with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes restricted growth, poor core muscle strength, learning difficulties, behavioural problems such as temper tantrums or stubbornness and a permanent feeling of hunger which will start between the age of 2 and 8 years old. The practitioners who work with the baby must always consider

In conclusion, the purpose of this initiative is to reduce CLABSI by at least 75% in the NICU at Aurora Bay Care Medical Center. This will be accomplished through training and education to the doctors, nurses, any staff that comes into contact with the infants, and the parents. This is a win-win for both the patients as well as the hospital because it will reduce morbidities and mortalities caused by the preventable infection as well as reduce costs significantly for the hospital.

A. the literature review provided articles that were relevant and a number of relevant studies and theories were described throughout the study.

There are some limitations to this literature review. One limitation is some of these studies may be outdated being that they are from the 1990s (i.e: Dulit et. al, 1990; Miller et. al, 1993; and Dougherty et. al, 1999). Another limitation is some of the studies were not randomized samples (i.e: Miller et. al, 1993 and Tragesser et. al, 2013). If samples are not random this could mean the results are bias.

To help prevent this issue I have created a program for the Fairfax hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to facilitate the bond between mother and child while both are recovering and being cared for. The pilot program called “rooming-in” allows mother and child to be on the same private room where other family can also stay. The room will be designed to give maximum support to both mother and baby by having all resources in room as well as a private team of nurses.

One of the most controversial behaviours parents can do is adjust the babies sleeping environment. There have been multiple arguments on this topic; however, research has shown that a babies sleeping environment can impact their sleeping safety tremendously. Some safety precautions all care givers can do is: placing the baby on their back to sleep, keeping the crib clean and clear of any toys or pillows, don’t overheat the baby with clothes or blankets instead try a sleeping sack, and lastly allow the baby to sleep in the caregivers room for the first six months or until the infant is capable of rolling over on their own. Another way to help prevent SIDS is by using a pacifier. Strangely enough, pacifiers can reduce the risk of SIDS due to the fact that they help prevent a baby from going into a deep sleep. Though, caregivers need to take precaution when doing this if an infant is breast feeding as they should not be introduced to pacifiers until they are nursing well. Consequently, one of the easiest ways to prevent SIDS is to not ignore sicknesses, especially respiratory related issues. In the first year of an infant’s life something as simple as a cough or old can impact them greatly. By taking an infant to a clinic, doctor, or even the emergency room as soon as any signs of sickness strike could save their life. Ultimately, there is no guaranteed that these precautions will work and unfortunately SIDS does happen. Despite that, there are multiple ways for caregivers to cope with this

"Up to 12% of deliveries in developed countries are preterm." This is approximately 500,000 premature births per year. In 2009, my cousin was born ten weeks prematurely, weighing merely two pounds, four ounces. After spending a copious amount of time in and out of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with my family over the course of a month, I developed an interest in its operation. Being a neonatologist became my leading occupation of interest. I chose to further research this topic in hopes of finding out whether or not this is the career path for me. In my research paper, I plan to go into further detail about the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), common medical conditions found in premature infants, how to react and treat these medical conditions, and necessary education to become a neonatologist.

data and a meta-analytic framework to synthesize results across sites. This study found that the

There is an increasingly large need for the care provided by certified child life specialists as the healthcare field continues to move toward more well rounded, family-centered care. The stressors and trauma caused by the hospitalization of a family member can leave life-long negative impacts. While the child life field is expanding quickly, little attention has been paid to the psychosocial, emotional, and developmental needs of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients and families. Parents and siblings of infants in NICUs face communication gaps from doctors and nurses, and stress and anxiety when struggling to understand not-so-easily comprehensible medical jargon. Additional negative impacts take effect when attempting to cope with

There are seven main principles in the Neonatal Integrative Developmental Care Model: a healing environment, partnership with family, positioning and handling, safeguarding sleep, minimizing stress and pain, protecting skin, and optimizing nutrition. These seven measures are used to provide optimal health care, both long term and short term, for premature infants. One of the most important elements of healing for premature infants is skin to skin contact. The Neonatal Integrative Developmental Care Model includes neuroprotective techniques to produce a combination of neurological, physical, and emotional development and avoid the development of disabilities. Parents are able to restore their parent-infant attachment, in this model, which helps both infants and parents health. NICU staff are not taught the neuroprotective skills during their training but have to be further educated. In order to ensure an optimal NICU, all NICU staff should be taught these skills during their training. Developmentally supportive care should be seen as a necessity not as an option. Optimal health care for premature infants also depends on the leadership and passion of NICU staff. There needs to be role model staff members that will train and set a high standard for other NICU member. (Altimier, L., & Phillips, R.

Cullen and Gendreau compare and contrast the many studies on this subject, the meta-analyses conclusions, their strengths, weaknesses, inconsistencies, and the trends that follow the studies

Systematic reviews and meta-analysis are considered forms of evidence-based practice (EBP). EBP is the process of integrating the best evidentiary information available with scientific expertise (97, 98). Gibbs describes EBP as (1) being driven by values of putting forth best practices by the researcher; (2) establishing a well-defined question that guides the research for best practices; (3) exploring and exhausting the literature to answer issues in question; (4) critically appraising the evidence found for validity and worth; (5) applying the evidence to policy or practice; (6) evaluating the effectiveness of the application; and (7) disseminating the results (99). In this case, there are no published systematic reviews on the association

Hi Melissa, as you mentioned the NICU population is one of the most susceptible populations for infections and preventing them will save lives. I agree with you about the use of the Lippitt change theory on the NICU, I believe the most important step from this model is assessing motivation among staff. The biggest strength is the recognition of the need for change, and then follow recommendation from evidence based practice research. I like the idea of change the age for visitors and proper hand wash for all visitors. Educate staff about the benefits of remove jackets during patient care, and implementing the use of gowns. I like your idea of secret observers and that warnings will be issue for the non-compliant and the rejecters of the new

This study was limited due to the small sample size. Although the conclusions are valid, more research with a

The ultimate goal in neonatal healthcare is not to simply “save babies,” but to improve the quality of life for the infant and parent. The child is being treated, but the family must live with the long-term consequences of the daily decisions made in caring for the baby. The two main issues in this decision making process include the stake of survival and the future quality of life. Even the smallest decisions, such as mode of ventilation or environment the baby is kept, can and will affect the infant’s transition to normal. The most famous case of neonatal decision-making involves a baby born in 1982. He was born with Down’s syndrome and a tracheoesophageal fistula, or abnormal connection between the upper parts of the esophagus and windpipe.