Poster Presentation
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
9:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM
Development of Plan of Care, Policy, Protocol and Education for the Near Term Infant
Patricia Avakian, RNC, BS, Women & Children's Services, Upper Chesapeake Health System, Bel Air, MD, USA and L. Joyce Fox, RNC, CNAA, MS, Nursing Administration, Upper Chesapeake Health System, Bel Air, MD, USA.
| Learning Objective #1: Identify the risk factors associated with the Near Term Infant. |
| Learning Objective #2: Identify the educational needs of parents and care providers of Near Term Infants. |
Near Term Infants (NTI) often develop signs of distress or complications 12 to 24 hours following delivery due to the risk factors associated with their gestational age (34 to 36 6/7 weeks). These risk factors include feeding difficulties, hyperbilirubinemia, inadequate weight gain or weight loss which may result in an extended length of stay. In order to effectively manage the care of NTI, it is necessary to develop a specific plan of care, policies and protocols, and educational material for parents and health care providers. This poster illustrates the policies, protocols, and tools developed and implemented at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center to address the educational needs of the parents of NTI and the special care needs of this newborn population. Our goal is to insure that each baby receives the best care possible in order to achieve a positive outcome.