This course will be taught, delivered, and assessed in practice, led by an experienced clinical and teaching faculty at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH)  validated by London South Bank University.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) is a specialist, tertiary, regional Neonatal Unit. This consists of 40 cots incorporating ITU/HDU and SCBU. It is one of three centres providing specialist neonatal: medical, surgical and intensive care within the East of England Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (EoE ODN). In 2019, the NICU at CUH undertook 3490 intensive care days, 4494 high dependency days and 5046 special care days. Due to the specialist provision provided at the NICU at CUH, this PgCert Contemporary Foundations in Neonatal Practice will provide a range of neonatal subjects, presented by experts in their fields. Neonatal consultants, Surgeons, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners, Specialist Nurses, and Educators will provide teaching sessions, alongside integral Allied Health Professionals involved with neonatal care such as Dieticians, Speech and Language Therapists and Clinical Psychologists. This will provide students with a holistic approach to neonatal care. The PaNDR (Paediatric and Neonatal Decision and Retrieval) Service are part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. PaNDR provides critical care retrievals for neonates and children up to the age of 16 years requiring transfer from different locations across the East of England. In addition to specialist retrieval, they also offer clinical advice to health professionals caring for all children, from extremely preterm infants up to 16 years of age. Students  are able to spend time with the PaNDR Service to further gain experience to develop knowledge and skills. 

The course structure, curriculum and assessments are aligned with current guidance on the essential core syllabus and skills content for QIS nurses. This guidance includes: The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) guidance on “Career, education and competence framework for neonatal nursing in the UK” (2015) and the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) “Matching Knowledge and Skills for Qualified in Specialty (QIS) Neonatal Nurses: A core syllabus for clinical competency” (2012). 

Healthcare Professionals providing direct nursing care for neonates and their families, can undertake modules in the special care, high dependency care and intensive care of the neonate, appropriate to their roles and responsibilities. The successful completion of these modules results in becoming ‘Qualified in Speciality’ within the neonatal field. Modules within the course are also offered as ‘standalone’ modules.  However, only successful completion of the full course (PgCert Contemporary Foundations in Neonatal Practice), or successful completion of modules 2 and 3 with evidenced pre-module ‘in-house’ preparation within a Neonatal Special Care environment (as assessed by the module lead at application), will validate the student with being classed as ‘Qualified in Speciality’, as guided by BAPM (2012). 

Learning Outcomes 

Knowledge and Understanding: 

• To have a critical understanding of the assessment of the neonate and the inter-related concepts between assessments and relevant investigations that neonates may receive within special care, high dependency, and the neonatal intensive care environment.
• Critically analyse the evidence-base, to demonstrate in depth knowledge and understanding of physiological, and pathophysiological change and how this relates to contemporary therapeutic interventions within special care, high dependency, and the neonatal intensive care environment.
• Critically evaluates and develops an in depth understanding of the assessment of the neonate within special care, high dependency, and the neonatal intensive care environment care environment when selecting and implementing specialist theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches relating to clinical investigations.
• Independently manage changing acuity of the neonate within the neonatal intensive care environment by critically appraising the evidence-base and apply systematic knowledge and specialist understanding when evaluating contemporary therapeutic interventions.  

Intellectual Skills: 

• Selects and critically evaluates principles of assessment, complex decision-making approaches and theoretical framework when rationalising an admission across special care high dependency and the neonatal intensive care environment. 
• Advance systematic understanding relating to the theoretical and methodological approaches used when undertaking a systems-based approach in the assessment and management of the sick neonate across special care high dependency and the neonatal intensive care environment.
• Systematically appraise the key factors which impact on the preterm and/or sick new-born infant in the antenatal, intra-partum and post-natal period and the complex factors which may impact upon the neonate at the identified stages across special care high dependency and the neonatal intensive care environment. 

Practical Skills: 

• Independently elicit a comprehensive, holistic assessment of the neonate within the special care, high dependency, and the neonatal intensive care environment.
• Critically analyses and evaluates the requirements for the continuous review of care of a neonate and demonstrates advanced communication skills to convey information effectively with the multi-professional team within special care, high dependency, and the neonatal intensive care environment.
• Equip the student with the core clinical skills to deliver safe enhanced, evidence-based care of the neonate within special care, high dependency, and the neonatal intensive care environment.
• Act with professionalism and integrity, and work within agreed professional, ethical, and legal frameworks, and processes to maintain and improve standards of care provided to the neonate.
  

Transferable Skills: 

• Autonomously develop strategic decision-making to enhance the relationship when working in partnership with families and the multidisciplinary team within special care, high dependency, and the neonatal intensive care environment.
  Gather and interpret information from different sources and make informed judgements about its quality and appropriateness including assessing rigor and validity. 

Assessment method 

The assessment strategy for this course is chosen to enhancing and consolidating specialist understanding linked and mapped to The Royal College of Nursing “Career, education and competence framework for neonatal nursing in the UK” (2015), and the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) in collaboration with the Neonatal Nurses Association (NNA) “Matching Knowledge and Skills for Qualified in Specialty (QIS) Neonatal Nurses: A core syllabus for clinical competency” (2012). 

This programme has the following core/optional modules

CUH_6_001: Foundations of Contemporary Neonatal Care (Level 6) (Cambridge University Hospitals NHSFT/LSBU Partnership)

CUH_7_001: Principles and Care of the Neonate Requiring High Dependency Care (Level 7) (Cambridge University Hospitals NHSFT/LSBU Partnership)

CUH_7_002: Principles and Practice for the Neonate Requiring Intensive Care (Cambridge University Hospitals NHSFT/LSBU Partnership)