Neonatal Nurses' Essential Training and Skills

Healthcare in Uganda is improving

Uganda has made considerable progress in improving child survival and development.  Between 2011 and 2016 maternal and under-five mortality declined from 438 to 368 per 100,000 and from 90 to 64 per 1,000 live births respectively. Improvements in socio-economic conditions, as well as the availability and utilization of essential health services, contributed to this progress.

Neonatal mortality ( 27 per 1000 live births) still represents 42% of all deaths under 5.

Despite these positive trends, progress has been slow with neonatal mortality stagnated (at about 27 per 1,000 live births) and is responsible for 42 per cent of all under-five deaths. One-third of child deaths is due to malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea.

"Even amongst higher level health facilities in Urganda, availability and quality of maternal and newborn care was low or non-existent." - Studies on newborn care in Uganda (3-6)

Uganda has made considerable progress in improving child survival and development.  Between 2011 and 2016 maternal and under-five mortality declined from 438 to 368 per 100,000 and from 90 to 64 per 1,000 live births respectively. Improvements in socio-economic conditions, as well as the availability and utilization of essential health services, contributed to this progress.

 

1.68 doctors per 10,000 people

12.38 nurse and midwives per 10,000 people

​Before NNETS, there were 0 neonatal nursing programs in Uganda

Neonatal Nurses' Essential Training and Skills

Program:

NNETS Program: (Neonatal Nurses’ Essential Training and Skills)

Mission:

Provide state of the art training for neonatal nurses and develop strategies for sustained capacity building of medical manpower that provides care for newborn infants in Uganda

Method:

A hybrid program of neonatal nurse training that includes 40 online sessions over 6 months (March to September 2022) and 5 weeks of on-site mentorship and skills training (September 24 to November 28, 2022) using an experienced faculty of neonatologists and neonatal nurse educators.

Completion:

Provide state of the art training for neonatal nurses and develop strategies for sustained capacity building of medical manpower that provides care for newborn infants in Uganda

Participants:

Trainees – 47 nurses and nurse midwives

Faculty – Neonatologists (2); Nurses (12), Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (3)

Oversight – COINN, Inc and Connecticut Children’s Center for Global Health

Budget:

Year 1 – $ 12,000

Funding:

Faculty Time & Effort:

Support expenses:

Travel expenses:

Boarding/ Lodging:

Volunteer – without any remuneration

Donations from viewers like you, MERUnlimited, Connecticut Children’s

Donations from viewers like you

Nakasero Hospital

Timeline

NNETS Curriculum

Part 1: Introduction to Newborns

Lecture 1. Introduction to the NNETS Program Lecture

Lecture 2. Conception to Birth: Embryology for Neonatal Caregivers

Lecture 3. Classification of Newborn: Definitions & Terminologies

Lecture 4. Fetal to Neonatal: Anatomy and Physiology of Circulation

Part 2: Pregnancy and parents

Lecture 5. Individual Pregnancy Factors That Affect The Newborn​

Lecture 6. Skin to Skin: Physiology and Developmental Outcomes

Lecture 7. Parent Education: Infant Safety

Lecture 8. Parent Education: Newborn Care

​Part 3: Common newborn problems

Lecture 9. STABLE: Part 1 – Hypoglycemia

Lecture 10. Intrapartum factors and Neonatal Care​

Lecture 11. Fluid and Electrolytes: Gastrointestinal and Renal

Lecture 12. Respiratory Problems in Newborns

Lecture 13. STABLE: Part 2 – Thermoregulation

Part 4: Postnatal transition

Lecture 14. Preparation of Delivery Area: Evaluation and Stabilization

Lecture 15. Neonatal Assessment: During Transition & After Birth

Lecture 16. Neonatal Transitions

Lecture 17. Jaundice In The Newborn

​Part 5: Admission to the NICU

Lecture 18. NICU Infections and Infection Control​

​Lecture 19. General considerations and Prophylaxis on Admission for NICU patients

Lecture 20. Measurements and screening procedures on Admission

Lecture 21. Normal and Abnormal Newborn and Infant Behavior

​Part 6: Supporting the Newborn & Family

Lecture 22. Developmentally Supportive Care

Lecture 23. Pain Physiology

Lecture 24. Developmental adjustment of parents and family members/support person

Lecture 25. Perinatal grief

Lecture 26. Perinatal Infections

Part 7: Caring for the Newborn

​Lecture 27. Breastfeeding

Lecture 28. Fundamentals of Human Genetics for the Clinical Nurse

Lecture 29. ​Pain Assessment in the NICU

Lecture 30. STABLE: Part 3 – Respiratory Distress

Lecture 31. Birth Asphyxia and Therapeutic Hypothermia

​Part 8: The sick newborn

Lecture 32. STABLE: Part 4 – Laboratory Testing

Lecture 33. Pain management in the NICU

Lecture 34. CPAP Practical points

Lecture 35. Central Lines

Lecture 36. Cardiac Management

Future Directions For Increased Complexity And Sustainability

Partnerships

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References:


  1. https://www.healthynewbornnetwork.org/hnn-content/uploads/BCC.pdf
  2. https://www.healthynewbornnetwork.org/hnn-content/uploads/2021-Countdown2030_Uganda.pdf
  3. Namazzi G, Waiswa P, Nakakeeto M, et al. Strengthening health facilities for maternal and newborn care: experiences from rural eastern Uganda. Glob Health Action 2015;8:24271.
  4. Waiswa P, Namazzi G, Kerber K, Peterson S. Designing for action: adapting and implementing a community-based newborn care package to affect national change in Uganda. Glob Health Action 2015;8:24250.
  5. Waiswa P, Pariyo G, Kallander K, et al. Effect of the Uganda Newborn Study on care-seeking and care practices: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Glob Health Action 2015;8:24584.
  6. Waiswa P. Productive global health research from Africa: it takes more. Int J Public Health 2015;60:755-6.