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CICU Breast Feeding Project: A Culture in Transition

Saturday, 29 October 2011

Rachel A. Gernerd, BS, RN
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Amanda Seelhorst, BSN, RN
n/, IN

Learning Objective 1: Articulate the steps of the Transition to Breast Pathway and understand the importance of providing human milk to critically ill infants.

Learning Objective 2: Promote a unit culture across multdiscplinary teams that encourages and supports breast feeding of critically ill surgical infants.

Background: Human milk has proven to be effective in the reduction of multiple complications for the post surgical infant with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD). After birth, feeding is postponed until after surgery. At the point when the child can resume feedings the benefits of breastfeeding were not always recognized due to the acuity of the patient.  A Transition to Breast Pathway should be followed to assist these infants in receiving the benefits of human milk.

Purpose: To change the culture by increasing the knowledge base of RN staff and multidisciplinary team to promote the use of human milk in infants in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU).

Methods: Nursing staff were surveyed to gauge their comfort level and knowledge base regarding human milk. Results showed staff lacked knowledge about the importance of human milk. Education was completed through a variety of channels in the hospital. Staff were encouraged to attend a Breastfeeding Resource class. A transition tool was placed at the bedside of infants whose mothers were pumping breast milk to encourage conversations between moms and bedside nurses, and to demonstrate use of the Transition to Breast Pathway.

Results: This project has been a leadership jouney and is still in process in the CICU. Overall, there has been a change in culture to one that promotes the use of human milk for infants with CHD.  Results should reveal that nurses are more educated about the Transition to Breast Pathway. Enrollment of nurses in the Breastfeeding Resource class has increased. Compliance with human milk storage policy has also improved.

See more of: Poster Session I - Maternal Child Health Leadership Academy Invited Posters
See more of: Invited Posters