Neonatal Unit
01246 512515
Learning Environment Manager:
Lauren Searston
NEONATAL UNIT PHILOSOPHY
Parents and staff, Partners in care
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We believe that babies should only be admitted to the Neonatal Unit if their care cannot be equally managed on the postnatal ward or at home.
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Each baby who needs special care will be welcomed and cared for as an individual, their different physical, psychological and social needs will be taken into account and care will be shared and planned with their parents.
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The staff will provide a caring, safe, comfortable and child-friendly environment for babies, parents and siblings. Babies shall be cared for by specially trained staff, keeping parents involved and informed as much as they are able.
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We aim to provide a suitable learning environment for all students and staff, enabling them to carry out evidence-based practices under supervision of qualified neonatal nurses/medical staff.
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Health promotion and education for parents is an integral part of total baby care and parents will be supported by the staff to develop parenting skills to adapt the family towards a happy and healthy home life with their baby/babies.
THE NEONATAL UNIT
The Neonatal Unit is a 12 cot unit with 3 critical care cots and 9 special care cots. This is occasionally subject to change dependent upon staffing levels on the unit and also dependency of the babies. Babies are admitted to the unit from 27 weeks to 40+ weeks’ gestation for a variety of reasons.
Sometimes a baby’s condition may necessitate transfer to a specialist unit in a different hospital, For example, if a baby requires surgery it is usually transferred to Sheffield Children’s Hospital. A baby with a cardiac problem may be transferred to Leeds and a baby requiring certain forms of ventilation other than conventional may be transferred to a regional unit, usually at Sheffield or Nottingham. The transfer is normally carried out by a specialist transport team. The team for our network is called Embrace.
The unit is divided into 3 main areas, the intensive care room, the main nursery and four side cubicles.
Most babies will be admitted into the intensive care area and may then be nursed in different areas of the unit according to their condition and reason for admission.
Our aim is to provide family centred care, offering support to all members of the family unit for the duration of their baby’s stay on the unit and also for a time following discharge.
