My Working Day Anne Keane, neo-natal nurse and midwife, Special Baby Care Unit, University College Hospital Galway, says more resources are needed
My professional role as a neo-natal nurse and midwife entails providing the best holistic nursing care to critically ill premature term infants and acting as an advocate for individual critically ill infants.
I am involved in empowering, liaising with and educating parents in their delivery of care to their critically ill infant, eg working with and guiding the parents in the infant's personal care needs or discussing the infant with parents so they are aware of their baby's holistic needs. I also assist and support parents in bonding with their infant. I work collaboratively with the core nursing team in the neo-natal unit to ensure the best nursing care and am part of a multidisplinary team.
Mentoring and educating student midwives/neo-natal students is another part of my role as well as developing professionally through continuing education to enhance my own skills and knowledge.
I have to ensure that all administrative work regarding each individual critically ill infant is updated hourly/every few hours/daily in case notes and that any changes to the infant's treatment plan are made as instructed by the doctors.
I work two types of shift patterns - day duty which I call long day from 7.30am to 8.30pm and night duty from 8pm-8am.
My typical day starts with the handover of individual critically ill infants. I assess the needs of the infants I am looking after and devise a day plan for each infant. I carry out checks on the equipment required in the delivery of nursing care to the infants.
I liaise with the doctors and other professionals and implement any changes to the infant's nursing care as instructed by the doctors. I fill in the progress of the individual infant and any other appropriate information on the case notes. I give active handover to the next shift before leaving for the day.
The death of a premature infant and its impact on the grieving parents is without doubt the most difficult part of my job. At times, the stressful environment in providing intensive nursing care to premature infants can also be difficult.
I think the most enjoyable aspect of my work is taking part in the positive challenges of providing nursing care to critical ill infants.
To improve the area I am working in, more trained staff are needed and more resources such as after-care services and supports, eg drop-in centres for parents. We need more continuity in service provision and more involvement of parents in caring for their infant, for example, feeding. The recognition and involvement of parental care, support and education is vital.
Within the western health services, there is a need to improve the more specialised services such as neo-natal diagnostics and surgical procedures, thus reducing the trauma of transporting the ill infant and minimising infant-parental separation.