The topic for my CNL Educator Project is the Increased Utilization of Skin to Skin Contact in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Kangaroo Care (KC) was developed in Colombia by Dr. Edgar Rey in response to a lack of staffing and resources. Dr. Rey discovered that with timely uninterrupted and sustained mother-infant skin-to-skin contact there was also a decrease in infant mortality rates (Akhtar et al., 2013, p.49). The driving forces in support of this educational project are the multitude of benefits to neonates in the NICU.
The utilization of KC for infants within the NICU has been proven to aid with thermoregulation, an increase in cardiorespiratory function, reduced stress on both the infant and family, enhanced breastfeeding, increased
In 1978, a neonatologist came up with the idea that would help with the shortage of resources. He thought that the contact between the mother and baby provide easy breastfeeding and warmness for the baby. This caused research to be started. There was research done in 1989 where they compared 35 infants that had skin-to-skin contact and 36 infants who had normal contact. In that study they found that lactation lasted longer in the kangaroo care group. The articles found that the patient with kangaroo care also showed less hesitancy when leaving the hospital. They felt better prepared for their jobs as parents.
Hockenberry, M., Wilson, D., Wong, D. (2013). Essentials of Pediatric Nursing. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Mosby.
The very low birth weight are newborns that weigh less than 3.3 pounds (1,500 grams). Unfortunately, newborns that are under 3.3 pounds (1,500 grams) do not often survive, and the ones that do have delayed motor skills and cognitive development. The numbers decrease further to extremely low birth weight of 2.2 pounds (1,000 grams), where chance of life is very small. Low birth weight babies 1,500 grams – 2,500 grams (3.3 -5.5 pounds) have a good chance they will survive with proper care. Newborns that are small-for-date are placed in incubators that are sealed beds where temperature and air quality is regulated. The beds isolate the infants from pathogens and the environment. The babies need sensory stimulation to grow, so a recorded tape is played of the mothers soothing voice. Visual stimulation from video, and tactile stimulation helps foster physical and cognitive development in the baby. At five months while the fetus is in the womb ithas sensory capabilities, and can hear the mother’s heart beating, food digestion, speaking, and others speaking to her! The incubator stimulates this environment. There is great success with proper attention and care to the low birth weight babies, and. Many of the low birth weight babies are effects of parents that live in poverty, unable to access adequate medical care, and they experience stress due to an unhealthy family life.
Nurses play a big role in supporting the parents while their child is in the NICU. Showing compassion and demonstrating caring actions when caring for the patient makes it more likely that the parents will trust the nurse and the information the nurse gives them regarding their child’s condition. This trust is important as it helps the parents feel confident in the decisions they are making about their child’s care. When the parents of an ill child in the NICU have decided to terminate treatment palliative care by the nurse and other healthcare providers comes into play. Palliative care is keeping the child comfortable by treating the symptoms and being there for the parents and child physically, emotionally, and spiritually (Eden & Callister, 2010).
The journal associated with this organization is Advances in Neonatal Care. This information was established through the website and the Co- Editors ...
Neonatal nursing is a field of nursing designed especially for both newborns and infants up to 28 days old. The term neonatal comes from neo, "new", and natal, "pertaining to birth or origin”. Neonatal nurses are a vital part of the neonatal care team. These are trained professionals who concentrate on ensuring that the newborn infants under their care are able to survive whatever potential life threatening event they encounter. They treat infants that are born with a variety of life threatening issues that include instances of prematurity, congenital birth defects, surgery related problems, cardiac malformations, severe burns, or acute infection. Neonatal care in hospitals was always done by the nursing staff but it did not officially become a specialized medical field until well into 1960s. This was due to the numerous advancements in both medical care training and related technology that allowed for the improved treatment and survival rate of premature babies. According to the March of Dimes, one of every thirteen babies born in the United States annually suffers from low birth weight. This is a leading cause in 65% of infant deaths. Therefore, nurses play a very important role in providing round the clock care for these infants, those born with birth defects or other life threatening illness. In addition, these nurses also tend to healthy babies while their mothers recover from the birthing process. Prior to the advent of this specialized nursing field at risk newborn infants were mostly cared for by obstetricians and midwives who had limited resources to help them survive (Meeks 3).
Family centred care and comfort care theory both work for the well being of patient. Family centred care focus to work with family while providing care for the sick child. Family and pediatric staff works in collaboration to make care plan that works the best for sick child (Coyne, O'Neill, Murphy, & Costello, 2011). Similarly, comfort care theory focus on child’s physical, psychospiritual, sociocultural, and environmental aspects. “When comfort needs are addressed in one context, total comfort is enhanced in the remaining context” (Kolcaba & Dimarco, 2005, p. 190). When nurses apply comfort care theory, it is to achieve holistic care of sick children by focusing on all aspects (Kolcaba
Nursing research should be completed with the goal of improving patient care and outcomes. The ultimate goal of this research study is to provide the needed evidence based information to promote paternal kangaroo care to neonates in the NICU. Effective utilization of evidence based practice depends on the ability to find and analyze data, critically examine a patient’s current condition and needs, and apply the appropriate interventions to achieve the desired outcome (2012). With the gained knowledge from this study, it is anticipated that paternal kangaroo care will become a standard of practice in NICU’s across the United States.
Did you know one out of every eight babies are born prematurely every year in the United States each year, Neonatal nurse practitioners work with infants who are premature or have a health issue up to 28 days after birth. My interest in pursuing the career of a neonatal nurse practitioner is so I can help babies survive and help their families understand what actually is going on. Neonatal nurses are strong willed people, and I am a strong person, who has a very great interest in neonatal nursing. I am good at controlling my emotions in emotional situations and neonatal nurse will experience many emotional situations. The purpose of a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner is to inform the audience about the career by discussing: the history of a neonatal nurse practitioner, education and requirements to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, responsibilities & daily routine, pay, benefits of a neonatal nurse practitioner, and why it interest me. “Nursing is a kind of mania; a fever in the blood; an incurable disease which, once contracted, cannot be got out of the system. If it was not like that, there would be no hospital nurses, for compared dispassionately with other professions, the hours are long, the work hard, and the pay inadequate to the amount of concentrated energy required.
When a parent has a baby staying in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, they are worried and stressed about the health of their baby. This worriedness and stress can lead to the parents developing Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder. A parent is more likely to develop Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder if they experience a fear of the unknown and fear of death, quality of life, medical interventions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and stories from other parent’s experiences with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. A study founded that with parents who have babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit experience suffering in social relationships, this includes marital relationships. The article suggest childbirth educators should prepare parents for the possibility of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder in prenatal classes and teach the symptoms of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder, so parents can recognize if they start to show the symptoms of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder that they can receive the help they need.
...tant as well. One will want to spend as much time possible with their baby in the NICU. Getting as much sleep as possible, exercise, and knowing how to manage stress is crucial, otherwise one can become sick and in that state it will be hardly impossible to be able to visit the baby because of how fast germs can spread. Packing healthy snacks for the day while being in the NICU is an easy way to take care of oneself, and not having to rely on hospital cafeteria that one may not like.
Emily is a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse of 11 years. Emily routinely provides care for babies as small as 800 grams (about 1 and ¾ pounds), babies born with drug addictions, and the routine twins and triplets born as a result of fertility medications and assisted reproductive technologies (ART). As a strong Christian woman, Emily wasn't sure she could fulfill the tasks required of her when she first came on. Nor did she think she could cope with the occasional “expiration” of a young life. However, after more than a decade, Emily continues to provide exemplary care to babies, and parents alike, in the first few weeks and months of life. Throughout her decade long career, Emily has seen much change and continues to see the landscape transform within her small part of the nursing community.
When you’re pregnant, you envision bonding with your baby in your hospital room. Bonding with your baby in the NICU may not be what you hoped for, but it can be a special time for both you and your baby.
Moore, E. R., Anderson, G. C., & Bergman, N. (2007). Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers
This week’s clinical experience has been unlike any other. I went onto the unit knowing that I needed to be more independent and found myself to be both scared and intimidated. However, having the patients I did made my first mother baby clinical an exciting experience. I was able to create connections between what I saw on the unit and the theory we learned in lectures. In addition, I was able to see tricks other nurses on the unit have when providing care, and where others went wrong. Being aware of this enabled me to see the areas of mother baby nursing I understood and areas I need to further research to become a better nurse.