Neonatal Care: Specialist Core Skills (Level 7) Module 1

In the past 10-15 years, there have been significant technological advances in neonatal care, supported by an ever-increasing evidence base in this field.

This three-month course focuses on the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills based on those advances and evidence.

The skills developed during the course comprise those relating to normal care of the well new-born and those required for caring for sick neonates in the special care and/or high-dependency unit. These skills were developed based on "Matching knowledge and skills for QIS neonatal nurses," a document by RCN 2012 in collaboration with NNA and BAPM.

Who is it for?

For health professionals working with neonates who are required to learn the appropriate skills relevant to the demographic changes and new innovations in practice to enhance outcomes for this vulnerable population.

Timetable

A total of 5 study days:

Term 1

Oct: Tuesday 8 and 22 October 2024
Nov: Tuesday 26 November 2024
Dec: Tuesday 3 and 10 December 2024

Essay and Portfolio Submission: 28 January  2025

Term 3

Apr: Tuesday 8 and 22 April 2025
May: Tuesday 6 and 20 May 2025
Jun: Tuesday 3 June 2025

Essay and Portfolio Submission: 22 July 2025

Benefits

The key takeaways from this course are the essential core skills and theoretical knowledge that enable practitioners to care proficiently for the neonate requiring normal, special and high dependency levels of care.

This short course module is designed to be flexible in allowing you to study and reach your goals at your own pace. Our health CPD courses are credit-bearing modules that contribute to a University degree or award.

Transfer course credits towards postgraduate taught degree

As a health care professional, once you've completed this course you could offset 15 credits as part of a postgraduate programme, continuing your study with further modules to make up a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) 60 credits, Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) 120 credits or Master of Science (MSc) 180 credits qualification (all credits must be awarded within five years of study commencing).

Course content includes:

• the high-risk pregnancy and adaptation to extra-uterine life
• clinical issues 1: common neonatal problems (thermoregulation, jaundice, hypoglycaemia, infection)
• clinical issues 2: respiratory problems and care, management of nutrition and fluid balance, psychosocial issues and family care, developmental care and outcome.

By the end of the course you will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding:

• Demonstrate adequate knowledge and ability to assess the holistic needs of the high-risk neonate and family on admission, in order to deliver and evaluate care specific to their needs during their subsequent stay in the neonatal unit.

Skills:

• Demonstrate an ability to search and critically review relevant neonatal literature to provide an appropriate evidence base for learning in practice.
• Provide both a physical and psychological environment for the neonate and family that is conducive to optimising wellbeing, safety and preventing harm using a relevant evidence base as rationale.
• Develop, maintain and evaluate effective communication channels with families and the multi-disciplinary team.
• Implement and critically evaluate, on an ongoing basis, care for the sick/high-risk neonate and family during their stay on the neonatal unit as they progress through different levels of care.
• Deliver and evaluate appropriate interventions/investigations to the sick/high-risk neonate appropriate to their disease and specific problems using a relevant evidence base as rationale.

Values and attitudes:

• Recognise and value the cultural, spiritual and social needs of the neonate and family, incorporating these values within the concept of family-centred care.
• Identify your own learning needs and demonstrate learning and development within neonatal practice by reflection and application of theory to practice.

Teaching

Study skills and evidence-based care will be taught by small group tutorials. There will be self-assessment / exercises and background reading to complete, and the opportunity for independent learning.

Assessment

You will be assessed by a Practice Portfolio which includes guided skill areas to address in practice with a mentor as well as reflective activities. You will be required to document evidence and reflect on practice to demonstrate that you have achieved the learning outcomes for the course. For all outcomes and activities, you will show how you are able to search and critique the relevant literature and provide optimum evidence-based care. You should also identify your learning and development in practice.

This is a Nursing Studies top-up degree programme course. If you wish to complete a top-up degree, please apply directly on the Nursing Studies programme webpage. If you would still like to complete this course as a CPPD student but would like to complete a top-up degree at a later date, please note that you will only be able to transfer a maximum of 30 credits which have been awarded within 5 years prior to the start date of the programme (top-up degree).

This course is provided by the School of Health & Psychological Sciences.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

Non-EEA students can only apply as part of a programme, not as a stand-alone course.

• You must be a qualified nurse or midwife, either in the UK or overseas.

Work/Clinical Placement Requirements:

The course requires you to be:

• working in a suitable practice area
• in a clinical placement
• have a clinical mentor.

English requirements

If your first language is not English, one of the following is required:

• A first degree from a UK university
• A first degree from an overseas institution recognised by City, University of London as providing adequate evidence of proficiency in the English language, for example, from institutions from Australia, Canada or the United States of America.
• International English Language Test Service (IELTS) a score of 7.0 is required with no subtest below 7.0
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) score 72 required
• TOEFL 100 overall with 24 in Writing, 20 in Listening, 19 Reading and 20 Speaking
• Other evidence of proficiency in the English language, which satisfies the board of studies concerned, including registration with your professional regulator.