Service Overview

Women's Health:

More than 3800 births per year

Cesarean Rate 28%

More than 250 births per year under 37 weeks

Special Care Nursery:

Level 5 nursery

16 funded beds - flex up to 24 beds

4 High Dependency beds

Newborn / Antenatal Up-Transfer Threshold:

GA 31 weeks, Birth Weight 1500 grams

Infants born at LMH below these thresholds will be transferred to WCH for initial care

Newborn Admission Threshold:

GA less than 36 weeks, OR Birth Weight less than 2300 grams

Are to be admitted to SCN unless otherwise discussed with the Neonatologists or Paediatrician

(About 15% of newborns 2200 - 2300g will avoid admission)

Down Transfer Criteria:

CGA ≥ 31 weeks

Current weight ≥ 1350 grams

Full enteral feeds

Resp support no greater than High Flow 25%

Resuscitation Training

NLS / NALS course:

We run regular NLS and NALS sessions.

Please book into NLS or NALS courses via your iLearn account

NLS & NALS course schedule

Neonatal Shifts
Special Care Day Shift

Hours: 08:00 - 16:30

Tasks:

Handover in Special Care Nursery at 08:00

Followed by SCN Ward Round

Wednesday Ward Round is led by the Registrar

Reg and RMO share clinical duties in nursery. Infants examined at least twice per week (once each by Reg and RMO) with exam results documented.

Plot growth charts every Monday

Brief consultant afternoon round usually about 15:30 - 16:00

20:30 Handover to Night Registrar. Highlight possible discharges for next day.

Special Care Night Shift

Hours: 20:30 - 08:30

Tasks:

Handover from Registrar in SCN

Review unwell infants in nursery

The registrar is expected to take an active role in reviewing infants admitted in the last few days: Common issues to consider include:

  1. Identify infants with significant jaundice
  2. Review blood cultures / antibiotics
  3. Advance enteral feeds and reduce iv fluids

Attend cesareans and resuscitations on Birthing Unit

Update EMR handover and any pending discharges

In the morning present new admissions to the Handover Round

Finish at 08:30

Post-natal RMO

Hours: 08:00 - 16:30

Tasks:

Handover in Special Care Nursery at 08:00

Attend to newborn checks / reviews in birthing unit first

Check list of discharge checks and reviews on Women's Health Ward

Do checks for imminent discharges first to help with patient flow

Get help from Resus Reg if busy

Consult with Resus Registrar for any queries

Resus Registrar Shift

Hours: 08:00 - 21:00

Pager: 47392

Tasks:

Handover in Special Care Nursery at 08:00

Get the Resus pager from the night registrar

Notify Co-ordinator & Neonatologist on SCN re anticipated admissions

Attend relevant cesareans and newborn resuscitations

Help with postnatal ward and birthing unit discharge checks when possible

Neonatal Teaching / Meetings

Paediatric Journal Club

Monday 12:30 - 13:30 (alternate weeks)

Dr Sthavan will notify you of your turn to present.

Topics alternate beween Paeds and Neonatal

Discuss with one of the neonatologists if you need help with article selection

Or look at Keith Barrington's Neonatal Research blog if you want inspiration

Neonatal MDT Meeting

Wednesday 13:00 - 14:00 in Tutorial Room

On first Wednesday of the month the SCN Day Shift Registrar will be presenting

Week 2: Nursing presentation

Week 3: Safety & Quality presentation

Week 4: Consultant presentation

Paediatric Department Meetings

Friday 13:00 - 14:00 in Tutorial Room

Paediatric Radiology Meeting

Friday 14:00 - 14:30 (alternate weeks)

The Paediatric Senior Reg will arrange the list of cases

Discharge Summaries

Use the "Discharge Summary, Medical" document template rather than the "Neonatal Discharge Summary" for creating discharge summary for infants discharged from the Special Care Nursery.

Our goal is to complete all discharge summaries on the day of discharge

All Registrars and RMOs on all shifts can assist with updating and completing discharge summaries

Registrar Clinics

Schedule

Tuesday morning from about 10:00 (with Dr Varghese)

Thursday morning from about 10:00 (with Dr Hewson)

Details

Held in Family Clinic

SCN Day Registrar attends

Or Resus Registrar if no reg in SCN

Discuss any queries with the neonatologist in clinic

Discuss follow up requirements with neonatologist

Or if clinic neonatologist is on leave, the on-service neonatologist is available to provide supervision

Please send copy of clinic letter to parents if possible

Virtual Clinics

Background

A daily clinic for follow-up of investgations such as hip ultrasounds, renal scans or blood results

Where the physical attendance of the infant / family is not required

Process

Infants are booked in using the booking form available in SCN and on Women's Health

You will also need to book or arrange the required ultrasound or blood test

The SCN ward clerk will chase up the timing of the scan and then schedule the Virtual Clinic appointment for the day after the scan (to allow time for reporting).

The SCN ward clerk will print a copy of the Virtual Clinic list every day, and place it in the red tray in the SCN Clinical Handover Room

The SCN Reg/RMO must review the Virtual Clinic appointment list each day (Monday - Friday) and chase up the relevant investigation, and plan further management

Telephone the parent and discuss results and any further follow up

Discuss any concerns or uncertainties with the on-service Neonatologist

Document your plan in the EMR using a Neonatal Clinic Note

After-hour Codes & Consultants

Code Cat One

The on-call Consultant for Neonates will be called (by switch) for EVERY Cat One Section

Please let the consultant know if delivery occurs before their arrival and attendance is no longer required

Code Blue Newborn

Neonatal Consultant is NOT called to Code Blue Newborn

You will need to specifically call the consultant in if required

Tips, Tricks & How-to videos
Sending x-ray images

When you need to send an xray image to the consultant off-site:

Don't just take a photo of the screen with your phone - the image quality will be poor

Instead, copy the image from the computer:

  1. Click in Carestream window
  2. CTRL / Alt / PrintScreen together
  3. Open a new email
  4. Paste the image (from 2)
  5. Send email to recipient
  6. Or to your phone then SMS onward
Hospital Paging System

To page someone:

Dial #89

Enter the pager number then * key

Hang up and wait

Airway with i-Gel LMA
Needle Thoracentesis
Safe-T-Centesis chest drain
Answer a page on your mobile

Rather than going through switch you can call the extension directly:

Extension

You dial

20xxx

08 828 20xxx

21xxx

08 828 21xxx

29xxx

08 818 29xxx

83xxx

08 813 83xxx

35xxx

08 839 35xxx