
It was my roots in the NICU that led me to author “Neonatal Nurses: Key Stakeholders in the International Neonatal Consortium,” in June 2016 NeoReviews.
I started my nursing career in the NICU in 1976. Neonatal practice at that time was to adapt (with much creativity and persistence) medications, devices and procedures from the adult ICUs for use in the NICU. In doing so, the survival rates of premature and sick newborns improved, but that improvement did not come without cost, despite our best intent and efforts.
Memories remain with me of the infants and their families who experienced adverse events related to our efforts. It is those memories that spurred me to action within my pharmaceutical roles when legislative efforts began to incentivize and require pediatric research. It seemed like a way to channel the passion from my NICU experience to benefit my company, my former NICU colleagues and, most importantly, neonates and their families.

From that perspective, I wrote the NeoReviews article to inform nursing professional organizations and individual nurses about the rationale for establishment of INC, its mission, goals, and priority working groups. I want to provide nurses with opportunities within the consortium to ensure that research in neonates has meaningful clinical endpoints, feasible study designs and is supported by the nursing profession, which I believe is key to parent acceptance of research.
I would like you to join me in working towards improving outcomes for newborns, so please consider:
--Reading Short MA. Neonatal nurses: Key stakeholders in the International Neonatal Consortium. NeoReviews 2016;17(6) e305- e3
volunteering for INC-related activities through the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) or the Council of International Neonatal Nurses (COINN);
--Discussing with your neonatal professional organizations the potential to become involved in INC. Contact Lynn Hudson ([email protected]) at the Critical Path Institute for more information;
--Following the progress of INC deliverables and consider how best to incorporate deliverables into your practice and your unit. For more Information: https://c-path.org/programs/inc/; and
--Attending the EMA 2nd Annual Neonatal Scientific Workshop, Sept. 12-13, 2016, London Meeting (free registration and webcast option).
Additional Resources:
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Common Parent Reactions to the NICU. Accessed at: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/preemie/Pages/Common-Parent-Reactions-to-the-NICU.aspx, on June 20, 2016.
- Spanish: https://www.healthychildren.org/spanish/ages-stages/baby/preemie/paginas/common-parent-reactions-to-the-nicu.aspx.
- Davis, J. Global Efforts to Accelerate the Development of Safe and Efficacious Therapies for Newborns. AAP Section on Advances in Therapeutics and Technology (SOATT) Newsletter, Fall 2015. Accessed at: https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/soatt_newsletter_2015_fall.pdf on June 20, 2016.
- Davis, J.M., Turner, M.A. Global Collaboration to Develop New and Existing Drugs for Neonates, JAMA Pediatrics. Published online Aug. 10, 2015. Accessed at: http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2422332 on June 20, 2016.
- Eklund W. A New Global Initiative: The International Neonatal Consortium. Advances in Neonatal Care. 2016;16(1):3-4.
- Hudson L. Collaborating to Accelerate the Development of Safe and Effective Therapies for Neonates. Infant. 2015;11:4.
- McCune SK, Mulugeta YA. Regulatory science needs for neonates: a call for neonatal community collaboration and innovation. Front Pediatr. 2014;2:135-137.
- Offringa M, et al. Applying Regulatory Science to Develop Safe and Effective Medicines for Neonates. Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science journal. DOI: 10.1177/2168479015597730 (2015). Accessed at: http://dij.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/08/06/2168479015597730 on June 20, 2016.
- Weiner GM, Zaichkin J, editors. Textbook of Neonatal Resuscitation, 7th Edition. American Academy of Pediatrics and American Heart Association. Accessed at: http://shop.aap.org/Textbook-of-Neonatal-Resuscitation-7th-Edition-Paperback on June 20, 2016.
- Wyckoff MH, et al. Part 13: Neonatal Resuscitation: 2015 American Heart Association Guidelines Update for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. 2015;132(suppl 2):S543–S560. Accessed at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/sites/all/libraries/pdfjs/web/viewer.html?file=/content/pediatrics/early/2015/10/13/peds.2015-3373G.full.pdf on June 20, 2016.