Neonatal Nursing

Everyone’s bodies were created to survive. However, the body size of a person does not matter. Our bodies naturally have a desire to survive for as long as they can hold on. With that being said we can see that through these article pieces. “Neonatal Nursing: The first six weeks”, “Neonatal response to control of environmental noise inside the incubator”, “A focus of care for neonatal nursing: The relationship between neonatal nursing practice and outcomes” teach that the rewards from being a neonatal nurse are worth the sacrifices for these little lives. In this case, the desired outcomes are not always achieved, however neonatal care allows a greater chance for survival. Finding deep meaning in something that holds one at heart. Joy Jones, an author of medical sciences tells people the importance of neonatal nurses and what they carry with them. There are many responsibilities that come from within this role. Neonatal Nursing: The first six weeks demonstrates how life changing it is to work with young lives. Jones mentions, “Neonatal care in specialized nurseries and intensive care units for infants has been around since the 1960’s” (Jones). A general rule, the term neonatal refers to the first six weeks after birth. Therefore, neonatal care or Neonatology is the medical specialty that involves taking care of newborn babies, sick babies, and premature babies. With modern technology, prematurely born infants that have as little as 22- or 23-weeks’ gestation out of a normal 40-week pregnancy are able to survive. The reason behind Neonatal care is because of people who cared enough to help save the lives of many premature infants who are born each year. With this in mind, there are various objectives that that one must go through to designate what happens to the babies. A destination for future success in a life of a baby. Jones teaches sacrifices that nurses have to deal with, and there is a need to take this seriously. Neonatal care shows how people are able to make a difference in difficult situations. Jones says, “Today there are approximately 40,000 low birth weight infants born annually in the Unites States” (Jones). Most babies in a typical Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are not considered critically ill. A high percentage of NICU babies are simply premature babies that are not doing well and are just waiting to grow big enough to go home. Other NICU infants are typically treated for hyperbilirunemia, which is an excessive amount of yellow bile pigment leading to jaundice, while other babies in the NICU are recovering from infections or surgery. There are many reasons for a baby to be held in intensive care. Therefore, there is three different levels in the NICU for premature babies. The path to Neonatal nursing. The author, Joy Jones, shows the intricate details about the different levels of the NICU. Neonatal nurses provide direct patient care to infants in these units. Jones expresses, “In the 1970’s the medical specialty of neonatology came into its own. Out of that grew the need for nurses to specialize in this area. It is a specialty in which high technology and high touch are interwoven to help infants survive” (Jones). Neonatal care is categorized into nurseries by the level of care they can provide. A level one nursery is traditionally a nursery for healthy newborns. These types of nurseries are nonexistent now because mothers and babies generally have very short hospital stays. A level two nursery is for babies that may be premature or suffering from an illness. These babies may need oxygen, therapy, specialized feedings, or more time to mature before they leave. The level three nursery is a NICU, which is a center that admits all neonates who cannot be treated in either of the other two nursery levels. These babies may be small for their age, sick and require high care, such as ventilators, incubators, or surgery. Furthermore, there are factors that contribute into the levels which they are in, however there are ways to reduce risks that may cause stress on the babies. The noise inside the incubator. Amy Person, author of neonatal response to control of environmental noise inside the incubator. Person teaches that conflicts may potentially arise with the environment in an incubator. Person says, “Environmental noise is a major source of stress that further complicates the medical management of premature neonates, contributing to the overall morbidity of the premature population” (Person). Sound measurements inside the incubator are consistently reported higher than the sound levels in the open nursery environment. A study was done with 65 premature neonates and sound levels, oxygen saturation, infant state where all measured and recorded during three study conditions. A pre-study was done with a neonate in an incubator and foam pieces placed in four corners, and post-study recovery of neonate in incubator with foam removed. The findings demonstrate significantly improved neonatal state response behaviors with decreasing environmental noise measurements inside the incubator. These studies give good insight and can therefore help future babies have better quality incubators. Struggles experienced through NICU adaptation. Amy person tells how it is difficult for the babies. She says, “While the development of neonatal medicine in the area of physiologic care of the neonate has made notable progress over the past twenty years, premature infants continue to be at significant risk for long-term neurologic, cognitive, and behavioral problems” (Person). Because these infants have difficulty adapting to the caregiving environment outside the womb, it becomes a stressful stimulus in the NICU environment. The neonate’s inability to adapt is a critical component of neonatal care. Background environmental noise is a major source of stressful stimulation that can complicate medical management of the babies. High volume sound levels may be related the health of neonates in the population. The noise from the incubators is greatly damaging, therefore a reason to lower the noise inside. Lowering the sound inside the incubator. The author explains how to decrease the sounds in the incubator and outside. Person mentions, “The NICU and the incubator environments are two interacting systems that form the comprehensive sound environment for the neonate. Noise from the NICU permeates the plexiglass walls of the incubator, thereby intensifying the sound environment of the neonate. Within the incubator, there are two distinct sound fields that exist simultaneously: direct and reverberant sound” (Person). NICU sound levels range from 70 to as high as 117 decibels. Ways to reduce environmental sound levels are restricting teaching at bedside, adjusting volume on monitors and alarms, removing phones and radios from the care area. Also, the type of tiles on the ceiling to prevent any noise from other rooms. Having a blanket inside or something soft help absorb the noise. Taking into consideration whether the things being used in the unit are appropriate for the neonates. Responsibility as a neonatal nurse. Author, Linda Bellin and RN demonstrates the role of a nurse and evolvement. Bellin teaches that the nursing expanded to neonatal nursing due to underlying causes. She tells, “The responsibility of nurses in the care of high-risk infants has evolved over the past 35 years. The neonatal nurse of the past was concerned with maintaining temperatures, feeding lethargic premature infants, and protecting vulnerable patients from infections and other environmental hazards which the infants were not yet equipped to face. Now in the 1980s the neonatal nurse must add additional duties to these responsibilities” (Bellin). This knowledge exploded in the 1960’s and 1970’s which contributed to neonatal theory. This increased the nurse’s practice because there was now a need for advanced levels of nurses in NICUs. Nurses, because of their medical knowledge base and experience within the health care system, were seen as an appropriate resource to develop into a group of health care providers. Therefore, there has been greater advances to this day. Life as a nurse for NICU. The author tells us the duties of neonatal nurse. Bellin explains, “Typical duties include starting and maintaining IV lines, managing ventilators, assessing vital signs and drawing blood. New parents also require special care during this time, so neonatal nurses are in frequent contact with worried families. Neonatal nurses work with needles, feeding pumps, incubators and ventilators” (Bellin). These are some of the duties that a nurse has. Daily tasks that one must get used to because they can be challenging and heartbreaking. Meeting with parents and seeing their reactions can make the job so much harder. One sees the hurt on the other side of these babies. One might feel a greater need to achieve as much success for these life’s and their families. Furthermore, one should have good skills to do so. Characteristics one should have. Linda Bellin tells the skills of one who can be successful. Bellin says, “Neonatal nurses require emotional stability, compassion, effective communication skills, and critical thinking in order to be successful. Being a neonatal nurse requires more than an education. Through my research and shadowing my mentor, I learned how important these characteristics are” (Bellin). These skills are very important as a neonatal nurse. Anybody can be a neonatal nurse but never as great as one that has these characteristics. When one feels it in their heart to do this for their own intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, they tend to do a much better job because it comes from their heart. When there is so much power in this role it can be challenging and stressful however, it is rewarding. Everyone has a goal of wanting what is best. Whether it is a goal or simply wanting the best for a baby. Wanting the best for their life and being intrigued in them. Allowing oneself to do what it takes for many lives of young ones. These babies have had no more than six weeks in the world and need the best resources that are out there. The best treatments and equipment, like the incubator, lowering the noise and making it more suitable. What greater joy there is than helping the lives of these premature babies. After all everyone deserves to live.