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Neonatal

Recommendations of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review found that the role of AHPs in neonatal care is very different to practice in older children and adults, demonstrating the need for AHPs with specific skill sets. This project builds on the foundation level E-learning programme for AHPs and focuses on occupational therapists working at an enhanced level of practice.

It will ensure that the occupational therapy workforce has the skills and knowledge to promote infant neurodevelopment and the occupational performance of infants and parents/caregivers, improving outcomes for children and families across their lifespan.     

The scope is to develop a training programme for occupational therapists working at or aspiring to work at an Enhanced level of practice in neonatal care.   

This programme supports the ambitions of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review to develop the AHP workforce in this specialist area of practice.   

The project aim is to develop a blended learning programme for occupational therapists working at or aspiring to work at an Enhanced level of practice in neonatal care. This will provide a gateway for occupational therapists to develop and progress in this specialist area of practice.  

Occupational therapy in neonatal care fliers

The number of occupational therapists working in neonatal services is small, but awareness of our role in promoting the health, development and occupational performance of infants and their parents/carers is growing. These fliers can be used with commissioners, members of the multidisciplinary team and others to promote understanding of the unique role of occupational therapy in neonatal care. 

Occupational therapy and neonatal care in England

Occupational therapy and neonatal care in Scotland

Occupational therapy and neonatal care in Wales

Therapi galwedigaethol a gofal newyddenedigol yng Nghymru

Occupational therapy and neonatal care in Northern Ireland

Webinars for occupational therapists working in neonatal care

These webinars were recorded by clinical experts to inform, inspire and develop the knowledge and skills of occupational therapists working in neonatal care at an enhanced level of practice. They are part of a blended learning programme funded by Health Education England to develop the AHP neonatal workforce and are available to neonatal occupational therapists working across the UK. Each webinar is accompanied by a knowledge-check quiz to consolidate your learning and identify areas you may want to develop further. 

Tell us what you think.
We want to know what you think of these webinars. Your feedback will help us develop future webinars and resources for occupational therapists working in neonatal care. You can complete the feedback form. 

Capture your learning
After watching the webinar we suggest you capture your learning by completing the RCOT 5-minute reflection tool.

Infant occupations, parental occupations and co-occupations in neonatal care

Laura Kromhout, Clinical Lead Neonatal OT from Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, provides an overview of infant occupations, parental occupations and co-occupations in the neonatal context. This webinar builds on the foundation eLearning programme for occupational therapists working in neonatal care which we encourage you to complete before watching. 

What will you learn?

  • the aim of this webinar is to consolidate participants’ understanding of ‘occupation’ in a neonatal context.

Post-webinar knowledge check quiz. 

The impact of pain and stress on infant development and occupational performance in neonatal care

In this webinar Beverley Hicks from University College Hospital London reviews the evidence around stress and pain and their impact on occupational performance and infant development in neonatal care. We then consider the role of the neonatal occupational therapist in addressing these factors.

What will you learn?

  • review the short and long-term consequences of stress and pain on infants in the neonatal unit
  • understand how stress and pain can affect a baby’s occupational performance and parent’s co-occupations
  • introduce the role of the neonatal occupational therapist in the assessment and management of stress and pain on the neonatal unit. 

Neonatal frameworks and their application to occupational therapy practice

Beverley Hicks from University College Hospital London and Amanda Clifford from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust introduce frameworks currently used within neonatal care and their relevance to occupational therapy practice. Frameworks considered include:

Beverley Hicks from University College Hospital London and Amanda Clifford from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust introduce frameworks currently used within neonatal care and their relevance to occupational therapy practice. Frameworks considered include:

  • the BAPM framework for Family Integrated Care (FiCare)
  • developmental care
  • Infant and Family-Centred developmental care (IFCDC)
  • Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI)
  • the European Standards for Care of the Newborn and Newborn Individualised Developmental Care and Assessment Programme (NIDCAP). 

We discuss the language used within these frameworks and provide examples illustrating how neonatal occupational therapists have developed their service to contribute to these multidisciplinary programmes.

What will you learn?

  • develop awareness and understanding of the current neonatal frameworks
  • understand the relevance of these frameworks to occupational therapy practice 
  • understand how neonatal occupational therapists can be involved in these frameworks on their units.

Post-webinar knowledge check quiz. 

Occupational therapy models of practice within neonatal settings

As occupational therapists working in neonatal settings with high-risk infants and their families it’s imperative that we use occupational therapy models and theories to underpin our clinical reasoning. In this webinar Dr Deanna Gibbs, Director of Clinical Research for Neonates and Children, Barts Health NHS Trust provides an overview of the key occupational therapy models used to promote occupational performance and participation in neonatal care. The application of two specific models to occupational therapy are discussed, along with an illustrative case example, focusing on promoting parent-infant co-occupations. 

What will you learn?

  • review of the key models of ‘occupation’ that underpin occupational therapy practice
  • analysis of the applicability of these models to parent-infant co-occupations in the neonatal unit setting
  • application of an occupational lens to a neonatal case.

Post-webinar knowledge check quiz. 

Occupational therapy and neonatal palliative care

This webinar focuses on the role of occupational therapy in neonatal palliative care. It’s presented by Katy Fox, an experienced neonatal occupational therapist who has also worked at Claire House Children’s Hospice on the Wirral.

This webinar is for occupational therapists working at an enhanced level of practice. Before watching this recording, it’s recommended that you complete the foundation level neonatal e-learning programme including the accompanying workbook, and view the other neonatal webinar recordings in this series.

What will you learn?

  • What palliative care means in the context of neonatal care
  • The impact of the neonatal palliative care journey on parents
  • The role and application of neonatal occupational therapy in palliative care, using the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model as a framework.

After watching the webinar, please complete the post-webinar knowledge check quiz.  https://forms.office.com/e/WQcZ9vZ3sE