Placement Overview
| Placement Title | Neonatal Unit |
| Trust | |
| Your Placement Contact | Emma Hamer, Cath Bainbridge, Sabana Bhikha, Charlotte Abercrombie – Send Email |
| Placement Contact’s Role | PEL – Education Team, Neonatal Unit |
| Placement Address | Royal Bolton Hospital. Minerva Rd, Bolton, BL4 0JR |
| Placement City/Town: | Bolton |
| Placement Phone | 01204 390828 |
| Your University Contact: | Maya Nair – Send Email |
About this placement
What is organised for students on commencement of placement?
Please download the Student Welcome Pack prior to commencing placement
- Orientation to Neonatal Unit
- Recording neonatal observations – respiratory assessment, heart rate, temperature
- Cares – nappy changing, oral hygiene
- Nasogastric tube feeding
- Spoke placements to delivery suite, speech and language assessment team, physiotherapy, developmental care, outreach team.
What are the arrangements for mentors/assessors?
Students will be allocated 2 mentors/assessors on arrival to the Unit.
Midwifery students: Due to your placements often being split, please be aware that whilst we endeavour to keep you with the same mentors, there may be times for a variety of reason that this may need to change.
What shift patterns are students allocated for learning?
Early:
Late:
Night:
Shift Notes:
Long Day:- 07.30am – 20.00pm
Night:- 19.30pm – 08.00am.
What patient care situations are available in this placement?
An induction booklet and teaching packs are available for students. Supervised by your mentor you will have the opportunity to look after preterm and sick newborn babies requiring various levels of care.
What nursing model is used for planning care?
At present we don’t follow a nursing model as such but we do however have evidence based care plans.
What core clinical skills can be learnt?
- Carrying out a respiratory assessment of a baby
- Use of phototherapy
- Administration of IV fluids
- Nursing babies in incubators
- Assessing nutritional needs of a neonate
- Screening tests
- Use of various monitors e.g. pulse oximeter
- Care of peripheral and umbilical lines
- Admission of a baby
- Blood glucose monitoring
- Family centred care
What additional clinical skills can be learnt?
- Students can observe ventilation CPAP via nasal prongs
- Administration of Vamin/lipid
- Taking of x-rays
- Developmental care
- Pain management
- Observing blood transfusion
What resources are available to help students learning?
- Presentations
- Teaching Packs
- Articles
- Simulation scenarios
- Spoke placements
- Access to library
What research and practice development activities are being undertaken?
- Members of Greater Manchester Neonatal Network – looking at bench marking and evidence based practice
- Participation in clinical trials – extubate trial, planet 2 etc
- Unit meetings
- Access to practice development nurse and education team
- Various clinical audits
- Structured career development pathway in neonates
Spoke Placements
Additional Information
PHILOSOPHY FOR SPECIAL CARE BABY UNIT
The Special Care Baby Unit provides low birth weight and sick new born babies with the specialised care appropriate to their needs and gives support to their families. We recognise that each baby is an individual who has a right to be treated with empathy and dignity in all circumstances.
We recognise that each baby is a member of his/her own family, which has it’s own cultural, spiritual and psychological needs and we endeavour to meet these needs. We believe that the care we provide for the babies and families should be founded on research.
We believe communication of information is a vital element to enable parents to participate fully in discussions regarding care of their baby and in making informed choices.
We believe partnership in care is important and we will encourage parents to participate in the care of their baby both physically and emotionally. We recognise that learning is improved in an environment which is supportive to student midwives and nurses and we aim to provide these.
We appreciate the need for staff and value them as skilled practitioners. We feel that it is important that every encouragement will be given to individuals to further both their personal and professional development.
We acknowledge that many people have a role in the work of the Special Care Baby Unit and we value their individual skills and contributions.
Practice Educator Facilitators – Lisa.cavanagh@boltonft.nhs.uk – Royal Bolton Hospital