Nursing Process Improvement

(1030) Baby It's Cold Outside

Poster Presenter(s)

Julianne VanLaningham, APRN

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner - Site Lead
Nemours Children's Hospital
Orlando, Florida, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Co-Author(s)

JI

Johanna Ivich, MS, APRN, NNP-BC

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Nemours Children's Hospital
Orlando, Florida, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
TM

Tammy Mehigan, APRN

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner - NNP Manager
Nemours Children's Hospital
Orlando, Florida, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
NT

Nicole Thompson-Bowie, DNP, APRN

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Nemours Children's Hospital
Orlando, Florida, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Destini Bannister, MSN, RNC-NIC

Registered Nurse - NICU
Nemours Children's Hospital
Orlando, Florida, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Marylee Kraus, APRN

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Nemours Partnership NNP
Orlando, Florida, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Newborn hypothermia can be overlooked as a significant problem since it is relatively common or can become the "norm" over time. On average we found 52% of well newborns were hypothermic within the first hour of birth. Infants born by cesarean section were more likely to be hypothermic (up to 85%). By surveying the nursing staff, basic newborn care was found to vary greatly and opportunities for improvement were identified. The QI project emphasized education and process changes incorporating a multidisciplinary team. The entire team was needed to effect change. The most cost effective thermal measures where quite successful and were welcomed by management since they did not effect the units budget during this economically challenging time.

Learning Objectives:

Identify 4 or more basic ways to preserve an infants heat in the first hour following delivery.
Discuss the barriers and opportunities to improve thermoregulation in the newborn population during the first hour of life.
Describe the Quality Improvement project basic sections.