A Guide to Neonatal Care

A key text for all those involved in the care of neonates, including nurses, midwives and nursing students, providing a single source of valuable, accessible and fully up-to-date information about neonatal care. 

This book will better equip those working in the neonatal field with the knowledge and skills they need to care for neonates in their first year of life. Integrated learning tools, including algorithms, flow charts, summary tables, bulleted checklists and reflective questions, encourage critical thinking and aid understanding. These are accompanied by clear supporting text in line with relevant and recent evidence and research. Other helpful features include Stop and Think boxes and alerts for Standard Precautions and Local Variations 

Neonatal care is a speciality that often requires health professionals new to the field to acquire a discipline-specific set of skills. Care practices covered include working out drug dosages, fluid rates and calculations, looking up normal blood ranges and understanding the mode of ventilation a neonate is receiving, to name just a few. Overall, this book will empower neonatal carers as they improve their skills and achieve the best results for those in their care.

Introduction

PART 1 Caring for the healthy neonate

Chapter 1- ‘Normal’ anatomy and physiology of the neonate / infant

Chapter 2- Basic care principles

Chapter 3- Developmental aspects of caring for the healthy neonate

Chapter 4- Assessment and screening in the healthy neonate

Chapter 5- Important practices for neonatal health

Chapter 6- Principles of family care

PART 2 Caring for the neonate in the neonatal unit

Chapter 7- Altered anatomy and physiology of the neonate

Chapter 8- Neonatal unit care principles

Chapter 9- Developmental aspects of caring for the sick or premature neonate

Chapter 10- Assessment & Screening within the clinical setting

Chapter 11- Important practices in the neonatal unit

Chapter 12- Principles of family integrated care in the neonatal unit

PART 3 Caring for the vulnerable baby after discharge

Chapter 13- Discharge of the neonate from hospital to home

Chapter 14- Care of the vulnerable neonate at home

Chapter 15- Developmental aspects of caring for the vulnerable neonate

Chapter 16- Caring for the family in the transition to, and after discharge, home

Chapter 17- Resources for health professionals and parents

Final words

Julia Petty began her children’s nursing career at Great Ormond Street Hospital before moving into higher education and working as a senior lecturer at City University, London leading the neonatal nursing post-registration education portfolio.  She is currently a senior lecturer in child nursing at the University of Hertfordshire and has been Associate Professor since 2020.  

Lisa Whiting is a professional lead for children’s nursing and an Associate Professor with experience in paediatric critical care settings. She is involved in the teaching and assessment of undergraduate and postgraduate students across a range of academic levels. Lisa has led several research projects that have spanned a range of child health issues and that have had a strong focus on the involvement and the voice of children, young people and their families.

Sheila Roberts qualified as a general and children’s nurse and started her career at Birmingham Children’s Hospital before moving into general paediatrics in a range of hospital settings. Sheila moved into education in 2006 and has since been responsible for teaching and assessing pre-registration BSc (Hons) children’s nursing students across a range of modules.