The aim of the module is to enable experienced nurses, responsible for the care of neonates requiring surgery of the GI and renal tract to develop their knowledge base and skills within the speciality of surgical nursing.
Principles of neonatal surgical nursing care, pain management, recognition of the need for surgery
- Fluid management, thermoregulation, decompression, coagulation, specific disease-related needs
- Anatomy, physiology of gastrointestinal and urinary tracts
- Pathophysiology and aetiology of gastrointestinal and urinary conditions that require surgery in the neonatal period.
- Pathophysiology of surgical intervention, anaesthesia, iatrogenic effects, tissue / visceral injury, disease specific.
- Assessment, recognition of the need for surgery, deterioration in health state, applying early warning assessment models (e.g. ‘PEWS', and 'STABLE'), pain assessment.
- General principles of pre, intra and post operative care
- Caring for the family, communication, teaching parents nursing skills, supportive interventions
- Establishment of intestinal function; nutrition, dietetics, establishing normal growth
- Stoma care
- Administering oral and intravenous fluids and medication in the surgical setting
- Recognition of vulnerable infant and initiate child protection procedures appropriately
- Transferring the surgical patient to another neonatal unit
- Receiving surgical patient (admitting)
- Recognizing appropriate setting to discharge to
- Discharging surgical patient to home
- Ethical debates, consent, parent information, communication, professional responsibilities, 'safe guarding' issues

A CLINICAL COMPETENCY PORTFOLIO weighted at 0%. A WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT weighted at 100%.

4000 word written assignment (contributes to LO's 3 and 4)

Completion of competences and Clinical Portfolio: - pass/fail (contributes to LO's: 1 and 2)

Both elements of assessment must be passed in order to pass the module

Formative assessment:
Classroom Presentation - 30 minutes

All students will have tutorial support and will receive formative feedback following this. In addition, all candidates will have a clinical mentor who will meet regularly with the student to discuss progress

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: (47 hours)
45 hours lectures
2 hours group tutorials

Guided Independent Study: (253 hours) this can include:-
Reading
Portfolio preparation
Learning and utilising information retrieving skills for obtaining relevant articles from journals/websites

Clinical Placement: (113 hours)
Supervised clinical practice with mentor in Neonatal Surgical Unit

Library, internet, neonatal surgical guidelines, Moodle

Burge D M., Griffiths D M., Steinbrecher H. A. & Wheeler R A (Eds) (2006) Paediatric Surgery. 2nd Ed. Hodder Arnold Publishers. London
Davenport M. And Agostino P. (Eds.) (2009) Oxford Specialist Handbooks- Paediatric Surgery. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Hutson J.M., O Brien M., Woodward A.A, & Beasley SW. (Eds) (2008).
Jones' Clinical Paediatric Surgery: Diagnosis and Management 6th Edition Blackwell Publishing. Oxford
Puri, P (ed) (2011) Newborn Surgery, (3rd Edition). Hodden and Arnold. London

Nurse/midwife with current Nursing and Midwifery Council registration.

Candidates must be currently working in a neonatal setting, (either medical or surgical) or a children's hospital or ward where neonates are nursed.

Students must have access to an identified, suitably qualified, clinical mentor(s).

1. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of normal foetal development; physiology/pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal and renal tracts and apply to the nursing assessment and management of the neonate with a congenital or acquired condition requiring surgery.
(Application, Knowledge & Understanding, Learning)

2. Determine, and respond to, the needs of a neonate and their family during the surgical episode, utilising effective decision making strategies in complex and unpredictable situations. (Application, Communication, Knowledge & Understanding, Problem Solving)

3. Critically evaluate your personal development as a surgical neonatal nurse demonstrating initiative, self- direction and problem solving, in order to maximise quality of care and improve outcomes.
(Analysis, Problem Solving, Reflection)

4. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding and critically evaluate the implications of legal, professional, cultural, social and ethical influences that are pertinent to current neonatal surgical nursing practice. (Analysis, Enquiry, Reflection)