Information will make a difference to new parents' lives
Edinburgh Napier-trained nursery nurses have been honoured for boosting access to vital information about infant care for new parents through an app.
The group, currently practising in the transitional neonatal care unit in Fife, won a Practice Improvement Award from the Neonatal Nurses Association (NNA).
The nurses attended an education course on neonatal transitional care nursing at the university. They then put the theory into practice, supporting families caring for their babies in the transitional care ward.
Having noticed new mothers’ tendency to frequently reach for their phones to look for answers to baby care dilemmas, the nursery nurses took the initiative to create a platform where their knowledge could be shared with others.
They used the Kirkcaldy-based Victoria Hospital’s existing pregnancy app and populated it with information on caring for newborns. Each piece of content was written concisely, explaining what needed to be done and why in an easily digestible way.
The nursery nurses fact-checked every piece of advice before sharing it with their University lecturer and mentor Anne Moylan.
Anne said: “It has been such a pleasure working with this group of ex-students who, following their education course, were clearly very keen to put their knowledge into practice and provide support for families in their care.”
The app has been hugely successful among families who sometimes need to stay for an extended period with their newborn on the transitional care ward.
As a result, Anne invited the nursery nurses to present their innovation at the annual Scottish Neonatal Nurses Conference, where delegates were immensely interested in it.
Inspired by this success, Anne decided to submit the work of the nursery nurses for an innovation award at the National Neonatal Nurses Conference, which they subsequently won.
Roisin McKeon-Carter, chair of the NNA, said: “The NNA trustees reviewing the many nominations were extremely inspired by the innovation of the Kirkcaldy neonatal nursery nurses.
“They clearly demonstrated the application of education to practice for the benefit of the neonatal population and families they serve. This NNA award applauds the nursery nurses who are often the unsung heroes in neonatal care. The NNA are looking forward to inviting them to present at the NNA conference in 2023.”
The nursery nurses have plans to further develop the app to make it even more accessible, including translating the information into different languages and adding videos for people who have difficulty reading.
Their proactive approach and desire to help others will now significantly enhance the lives of newborns and their parents across the country.