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Neonatal Outreach Education and Training

Continuing education

The Tennessee Nurses Association has approved Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Department of Nursing Education and Professional Development as a provider of continuing nursing education. The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education has accredited Vanderbilt University Medical Center to provide continuing medical education for physicians. These educational programs receive financial support from the Tennessee Perinatal Regionalization Grant.

Community outreach education program for doctors

We offer topically oriented, evidence-based CME lectures to our community physicians on newborn medicine challenges that primary care physicians face in daily practice. Our free classes are available to be held at community hospitals.

Develop an NRP or simulation at your hospital

The AAP encourages all hospitals with obstetrical or neonatal services to implement the Neonatal Resuscitation Program. Contact Mary Lee Lemley if you need help designing your NRP program or simulation lab. We can discuss the use of low-fidelity versus high-fidelity simulators, creation of scenarios, aspects of debriefing and benefits of video recording of sessions.

Contact

Coordinator: Mary Lee Lemley, RNC-NIC, MSN
Phone: (615) 343-8686

Basic Neonatal Care

Coordinator: Meghan Arms RN, MSN, RNC-NIC
Phone: (615) 936-6882

Course topics

  • Transition to extrauterine life and safe delivery room care
  • Physical and gestational age assessment of the neonate
  • Prenatal environment and neonatal outcome
  • Pre-existing conditions
  • Maternal infections
  • Gestational conditions
  • Complications and concerns during labor and delivery
  • Substance use/abuse including Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
  • Common issues in the neonate: LGA/SGA/IUGR; RDS vs TTN; meconium aspiration syndrome; pneumothorax; sepsis; hyperbilirubinemia and hypoglycemia; murmurs and CCHD screening; metabolic issues; newborn screening program
  • Late pre-term special considerations
  • Safe sleep
  • Lactation support

We strongly recommend nurses take NRP prior to taking the Basic Neonatal Care course.

Registration

For individual registration, complete the Neonatal Outreach Class Request form.

If interested in group registration or on site education, please contact the course coordinator. We are able to come to your facility.

The Vanderbilt Newborn Regionalization Program provides formal neonatal care courses for Level I, Level II, and Level III neonatal personnel. Each hospital and/or healthcare professional will decide which Neonatal Care Course is necessary for his/her practice. Please contact individual course coordinators for further information.

Neonatal Care: Beyond Basics

Coordinator: Meghan Arms RN, MSN, RNC-NIC
Phone: (615) 936-6882

Two-day course

Course topics

  • Fluid and electrolytes: loss prevention, presentation of fluid depletion and excess
  • Electrolyte imbalances, tests, s/s
  • Nutrition: calorie requirements, Tpn/IL, enteral feedings, initiation of oral feedings, intolerance
  • Body systems: GU/renal/endocrine (hypospadias, ambiguous genitalia, hernias, bladder exstrophy, hypoplastic kidneys, hydronephrosis, polycystic kidneys, acute renal failure, hyperthyroidism, congenital hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hypoplasia)
  • Respiratory: ventilation types, BPD, CLD
  • Neuro: IVH, PVL, subgaleal bleeds, HIE/therapeutic body cooling, spinal cord defects, anencephaly/microcephaly/hydrocephalus, seizures
  • Cardiac: murmur differentiation; common congenital disorders
  • GI: NEC, omphalocele, gastroschisis, imperforate anus, meconium ileus/plug, malrotation/volvulus, duodenal atresia/stenosis
  • Integumentary/skeletal: IV infiltrates, osteogenesis imperfecta; dwarfism
  • EENT: ROP, TEF, choanal atresia, laryngeal web, Pierre Robin, cleft lip/palate
  • Hematology/immunology: blood transfusions
  • Genetics/congenital abnormalities: VACTERAL, Potter’s syndrome, trisomy disorders, Turner’s syndrome
  • Preterm Special Considerations: developmental care (especially late preterm), special considerations for medication administration

We strongly recommend nurses take S.T.A.B.L.E prior to taking this course.

Registration

For individual registration, download the Neonatal Outreach Class Request form.

If interested in group registration or on site education, please contact the course coordinator. We are able to come to your facility.

The Vanderbilt Newborn Regionalization Program provides formal neonatal care courses for Level I, Level II, and Level III neonatal personnel. Each hospital and/or healthcare professional will decide which Neonatal Care Course is necessary for his/her practice. Please contact individual course coordinators for further information.

Neonatal Resuscitation Program

Initial provider or renewal course

All classes take place 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Course dates

8 a.m. to 10 a.m., or 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. unless stated otherwise.

2023

  • Jan 25
  • Feb 15
  • March 29
  • April 26
  • June 28
  • July 26
  • August 30
  • Sept 27
  • Oct 25
  • Nov 29
  • Dec 27

2024

  • Jan 31
  • Feby 28
  • March 27
  • April 24
  • May 29
  • June 26
  • July 31
  • Aug 28
  • Sept 25
  • Oct 30
  • Nov 20
  • Dec 11 (11:00)

Coordinator: Mary Lee Lemley, RNC-NIC, MSN 
Phone: (615) 343-8686

The Neonatal Resuscitation Program allows the HealthStream NRP online exam to be completed within 90 days prior to attending the NRP Course instructor led event. Prior to the online exam, the textbook Neonatal Resuscitation, 8th Edition must be studied.

After the online exams, e-simulations will be required to be completed prior to class. Also, each learner will be required to review all 11 chapters and prove competence. The online test is in two parts. You may find it helpful to visit aap.org and read the resources under the Online Examination tab.

If books are unavailable from your employer, you may order the textbook directly from the American Academy of Pediatrics bookstore, or call (888) 227-1770. You may also find a more cost effective option to buy or rent through Amazon.

We provide the required hands-on interactive part of the course. You will successfully pass the course and receive an e-card after you:

  • Provide your certificate verifying that you passed the 2-part online exam and completed the e-simulation cases.
  • Demonstrate the skills required within the context of a clinical scenario in correct sequence according to the NRP flow diagram, with correct timing and proper technique.
  • Participate in simulation training and debriefing exercises.

Neonatal resuscitation program for providers

For individual registration, please complete the Neonatal Outreach Class Request form.

Parking instructions and course location will be sent with your confirmation letter. If you have questions, please call or email the coordinator.

These educational programs receive financial support from the Tennessee Perinatal Regionalization Grant.

STABLE Program

One-day course

Coordinator: Katie Judd, RN, CCRN-Neo, MSN
Phone: (615) 322-6798

This full-length program focuses on the post-resuscitation and pre-transport stabilization care of the sick neonate. It involves interactive didactic presentations with pre and post assessments. Each student who successfully completes this course receives a course completion card. Each learner will need access to a 6th Edition Learner Manual prior to class for study and for use in class. If books are unavailable from your employer for borrowing, you may order online from the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program website or the American Academy of Pediatrics online bookstore. You may also find a more cost effective option to rent it as a textbook through Amazon.

Program dates

Due to COVID-19, STABLE will be virtual via Zoom. This is subject to change. Classes are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

2024

  • January 16
  • February 20
  • March 19
  • April 16
  • May 21
  • July 16
  • August 20
  • September 17
  • October 15
  • November 19
  • December 3

Registration

For individual registration, please complete the Neonatal Outreach Class Request form.

If interested in group registration or on site education, contact the course coordinator to arrange. We are able to come to your location.

For Vanderbilt employees, please register through The Learning Exchange (LMS) for the date/time of desired course.

STABLE instructor courses

We offer S.T.A.B.L.E Lead and Support Instructor Courses when there is interest, as well as mentorship for the Support Instructor role. Support instructors teach in collaboration with a Lead Instructor, but may not teach independently of a Registered Lead Instructor. Lead instructors are responsible for ensuring the integrity and quality of the learner course and may teach independently.

Candidates interested in becoming a Lead OR Support Instructor: Must work in a unit that can provide short-term mechanical ventilation for a brief duration (under 24 hours) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), or both.
 
In addition to the above requirement, a Support Instructor must 

  • Have at least one year equivalent (at least 2,000 hours) of recent (within five years) – Level 2 Special Care Nursery or Level 3 or 4 NICU experience.
  • Be familiar with material in one or more of the S.T.A.B.L.E. program modules.
  • Orient with an experienced Lead instructor and co-teach with that mentor.

In addition to the above requirements for the Support Instructor, a Lead Instructor must

  • Be considered an expert in neonatal nursing or medicine.
  • Have at least two years equivalent (at least 4,000 hours) Level 2, Level 3 or Level 4* Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experience within the last five years. Work environment in Level 3 or Level 4 NICU is preferred for this instructor role.
  • Understand, and can teach, the content found in ALL of the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program modules at an advanced level.
  • Attend a Lead Instructor Course.

If interested in becoming a S.T.A.B.L.E instructor (Lead or Support), please email Katie Judd for details.

CCRN/RNC Review

This two-day review eview builds a stronger foundation for your nursing practices and prepares you for a specialty certification in neonatal nursing. It is for novice and experienced nurses alike.

Participation in the course does not guarantee a passing grade on the CCRN or RNC exam.

Contact the coordinator for class times, fees, and more information.

Suggested review materials for study:

  • Certification and Core Review for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing, 5th Ed, AWHONN, 2017
  • Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care, Garner, et al., 2011
  • Core Curriculum for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing, Verklan, et al., 2015.

NRP Instructor/Mentorship

Coordinator: Mary Lee Lemley, RNC-NIC, MSN 
Phone: (615) 343-8686

The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages hospitals with obstetrical or neonatal services to implement the Neonatal Resuscitation Program.

Requirements to become an NRP instructor:

  • NRP Provider Card
  • Physician, registered nurse, nurse practitioner, respiratory care practitioner, or physician assistant with experience in delivery-room care of newborns
  • Current maternal-child educational or clinical responsibility in a hospital setting
  • Ongoing delivery room experience (recommended)

You can now complete instructor classes through AAP online. The course requires you to co-teach two classes with a NRP mentor after self-study, and complete the two student/provider exams, the instructor exam, and the e-simulation cases. We can provide mentorship opportunities and help design and implement your NRP program at your institution.

Contact the coordinator for more information.

Community Outreach Education

We offer the following educational activities to primary care physicians in Middle Tennessee. These activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category I Credit. 

Sponsored by Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Division of Neonatology.

To schedule, or to offer suggestions on other courses we might offer, contact:

Coordinator: Mary Lee Lemley, RNC-NIC, MSN
Phone: (615) 343-8686

We will need your assistance arranging a meeting room with the required AV equipment and any refreshments.

STABLE Course

Goal: To offer topically oriented, evidence-based CME lectures to our community physicians on newborn medicine challenges that primary care physicians face in daily practice.
Location: Your community hospital
Fee: None

CME Lectures

The following lectures are available for 1 hour of CME credit.

Respiratory

  • Management of Respiratory Distress in the Term and Preterm Infant: NeoPuff, Early Surfactant and CPAP
  • Epidemiology of Chronic Lung Disease

Resuscitation and Stabilization

  • S.T.A.B.L.E. Overview and NRP Update
  • Limits of Viability & Discontinuation of Resuscitation
  • Oxygen in the Delivery Room
  • Neonatal Transport

Infectious Disease

  • Neonatal Viral Infections:  Hepatitis, Herpes and HIV
  • Probiotics
  • Nosocomial Infections

Prematurity

  • The Late Preterm Infant
  • Management of NICU Babies after Discharge

Emergencies

  • Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) and Head Cooling
  • Radiographic Identification of Surgical Emergencies

Newborn Medicine

  • Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Evaluation of the IUGR Infant
  • Substance Withdrawal in the Newborn

Miscellaneous

  • Evidenced-Based Medicine
  • Other topics by special request and with at least one month notice.

Accreditation statement

Vanderbilt School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Faculty disclosure

It is the policy of Vanderbilt School of Medicine that participants in CME activities be made aware of any affiliation or financial interest that may affect the planner's involvement and speaker's presentation(s). Each course director, planner and speaker has completed and signed a conflict of interest statement. The faculty members' relationships will be disclosed to the audience.

Neonatal Simulation Labs

We have three portable Sim NewB (term) infants, one portable Premature Anne (25-week infant), one MammaNatalie, and a SimMom. All are high fidelity mobile simulation lab experiences we can bring to your institution and adapt to your work environment. This allows us to provide a unique learning experience enabling neonatal healthcare providers to practice real-time team responses to neonatal and perinatal scenarios.

Following the simulation exercises, your teams will review their performances and discuss results. We can tailor scenarios to fit your group's needs and skill levels.

Our Neonatal Regionalization Program will continue to offer traditional intubation labs for medical, nursing, and respiratory therapy staff that need them. We also offer skills labs including umbilical line and chest tube placement, neonatal assessments, mock codes, or stabilization scenarios prior to infant transporting.

Contact the coordinator to schedule or discuss this exciting educational opportunity. If you need help designing your NRP program and/or Simulation Skill Lab, including all aspects of simulation, the use of low fidelity versus high fidelity simulators, moulage, creation of scenarios, aspects of debriefing, and benefits of video taping of sessions, please reach out.

Develop an NRP or simulation lab at your Hospital

The AAP encourages every hospital with obstetrical or neonatal services to implement the Neonatal Resuscitation Program. We can discuss the use of low fidelity versus high fidelity simulators, creation of scenarios, aspects of debriefing, and benefits of video taping of sessions. We can also help design and implement a simulation skill lab, including all aspects of simulation. Contact our program coordinator for details.

Coordinator: Mary Lee Lemley, RNC-NIC, MSN
Phone: (615) 343-8686

High-Fidelity Mobile Simulation Lab

Coordinator: Mary Lee Lemley, RNC-NIC, MSN
Phone: (615) 343-8686

We have three portable Sim NewB (term) infants, one portable Premature Anne (25-week infant), one MammaNatalie and a SimMom. All are high fidelity mobile simulation lab experiences we can bring to your institution and make relative to your work environment. This allows us to provide a unique learning experience enabling neonatal healthcare providers to work as a team in real-time response to neonatal and perinatal scenarios such as endotracheal intubation, chest Tube simulation, skill assessment training and mock codes. Teams will review their performance and discuss the results. We can tailor scenarios to fit the needs and skill levels of your group.

Our Neonatal Regionalization Program will continue to offer traditional intubation labs for those medical, nursing, and respiratory therapy staff that need these. We can also offer skills labs including umbilical line and chest tube placement, neonatal assessments, mock codes, or stabilization scenarios prior to transporting the infant.

Contact the coordinator to schedule or discuss this exciting educational opportunity. Call or email Mary Lee Lemley at the number above if you need help designing your NRP program and/or Simulation Skill Lab, including all aspects of simulation, the use of low fidelity versus high fidelity simulators, moulage, creation of scenarios, aspects of debriefing, and benefits of video taping of sessions.