The Foundation of Neurodevelopmental Care provides all the essential components of neuroprotective, neuropromotional, family integrated caregiving. A thorough review of Brain and Sensory Development is provided along with practical parent and healthcare provider care adaptations to maximize infant and family outcomes. A review of infant developmental risks and how to protect the growing brain while promoting development is discussed. Infant-Driven Caregiving activities, such as swaddled bathing, skin to skin holding, feeding, two person caregiving and more are reviewed. The course also includes an in-depth, hands-on approach to positioning and handling for immediate change in practice after completion.
Regardless of your neonatal profession (OT, PT, SLP, RN, RT, CLS, LMT, Psychologist, NNP, PA, or MD/DO), Foundation of Neurodevelopmental Care will provide you with an introductory education that can be put into practice right away. This course can completely change the culture of your NICU when large amounts of staff complete it!
The 3 webinars included in this course are presented in pre-recorded webinar format from neonatal experts around the United States and Canada. All of the presenters have completed the research, provided literature, or lectured nationally on their topic. This course has the most up to date evidence based, relevant information, easy to implement practice changes, and clinical scenarios. An 80% on-line test score and completion of the evaluation is required to obtain contact hours. As a bonus, you’ll be able to complete this course from the comfort of your own home!
Looking to change your NICU culture to be more neuroprotective and family integrated or more consistent with? Click Here or give us a call at 855-828-6862 to learn about large group discounts!
Course Description:
The Foundation of Neurodevelopmental Care provides all the essential components of neuroprotective, neuropromotional and family integrated caregiving. A thorough review of Brain and Sensory Development is provided along with practical parent and healthcare provider care adaptations to maximize infant and family outcomes. A review of infant developmental risks and how to protect the growing brain while promoting development is discussed. Infant-Driven Caregiving activities, such as swaddled bathing, skin to skin holding, feeding, two-person caregiving and more are reviewed. The course also includes an in-depth, hands-on approach to positioning and handling for immediate change in practice after completion.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of Foundation of Neurodevelopmental Care, the participant will be able to:
- Recognize the benefit of neuroprotective care to optimize infant development.
Course Includes:
- Webinar 1: Infant-Driven Caregiving, Kara Ann Waitzman, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC
- Webinar 2: Brain and Sensory Development: Applications for Clinical Practice in the NICU, Aune Hjartarson, OT Reg. (Ont), CNT, NTMTC
- Webinar 3: Positioning & Handling of the Neonate, Virginia McGill, PT, DPT, CNT, NTMTC
Access Foundation of Neurodevelopmental Care Speakers’ Disclosures Here
Infant-Driven Caregiving, Kara Ann Waitzman, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC
58 minutes| This presentation facilitates the participant to individualize the care provided to the NICU infant and family, based on the individual needs of the infant and family at the time. Likewise, developmental care practices such as skin-to-skin and swaddled bathing are shown through videos to help the participant implement these practices in the NICU.
Brain and Sensory Development: Applications for Clinical Practice in the NICU, Aune Hjartarson, OT Reg. (Ont), CNT, NTMTC
93 minutes| This presentation will review critical brain and sensory system development in the context of NICU care. It will highlight tangible methods to adapt care practices, modulate the sensory environment, and support brain and sensory system development. Strategies to involve parents and caregivers will be integrated as a vital part of supporting brain development and empowering families during the NICU admission. This advanced level information will enable neonatal clinicians to be intentional in the care they provide with the goal of optimizing the short and long term outcomes for infants and families.
Positioning & Handling of the Neonate, Virginia McGill, PT, DPT, CNT, NTMTC
45 minutes| Positioning of the neonate effects their postural and neuromotor development as well as their current physiologic stability and sleep. In this module you will learn why the neonate is particularly susceptible to changes in their development due to positioning and how to optimize their function now and for the future through infant positioning and handling.
Access Foundation of Neurodevelopmental Care Speakers’ Disclosures Here
AUNE HJARTARSON NUNN, OT Reg. (Ont), CNT, NTMTC
Aune is an Occupational Therapist in the NICU at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She received her undergraduate degree and Occupational Therapy Degree from McMaster University. She is part of McMaster NICU’s small baby team and the VON collaborative. Aune is a certified neonatal therapist and has been privileged to call the NICU home for over 20 years. Aune is a sought after international speaker, educator, and consultant. She lectures in the McMaster University Masters OT Program and has published in the area of clinical and video fluoroscopic assessment of aspiration in high risk infants. She was awarded the OT Practice Excellence Award at Hamilton Health Sciences. Aune is a dedicated life-long learner, and passionate about education to empower clinicians, teams, and families in the NICU.
VIRGINIA MCGILL, PT, DPT, CNT, NTMTC
Ginny McGill graduated from Creighton University with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2001. She has practiced in the NICU for 22 years, at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Providence Alaska Children’s Hospital. She has received certifications in Neonatal Therapy, Neonatal Touch & Massage as well as wound care and lymphedema. Ginny teaches locally and nationally. You may have seen her speak through her work with the Vermont Oxford Network (VON), Engage Grow Thrive or Creative Therapy Consultants. She enjoys sharing knowledge and is grateful to her mentors, John Chappel, Mary Massery, Kara Ann Waitzman and the many babies, families and therapists she has worked with throughout her career. Ginny lives in Anchorage, Alaska with her family and dog, Finn, and enjoys exploring the outdoors, especially any water sport she can find.
KARA ANN WAITZMAN, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC
Kara Ann has been a neonatal therapist for 36 years in a level III NICU and serves as the nursery’s developmental specialist. Kara Ann is president of Creative Therapy Consultants, Founder of the Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification (NTMC®) Original Co-Founder of Infant-Driven Feeding® and original co-developer of the Infant-Driven Feeding Scales© She is certified in NTMC, is Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Therapy (NDT) trained and reliable in NIDCAP. She has served on the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) Continuum of Care Advisory Board and Power of Touch Committee, the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT) Professional Collaborative, the Pampers Womb to World Advisory Board, and the March of Dimes Program Services board. Kara Ann has been a nationally sought after speaker, educator, and consultant for over two decades and has published articles on positioning and feeding, and written a chapter on Neuromotor Development and Massage. She developed videos on Massage, Skin-to-Skin, and Swaddled Bathing. Kara Ann has received professional awards including the Ohio Occupational Therapy Pediatric Model Practice Award, the March of Dimes Healthcare Worker of the Year Award, the MVH Excellence in Service Award and the Inaugural Pioneer in Neonatal Therapy Award from the National Association of Neonatal Therapists.
NOLE: Foundation of Neurodevelopmental Care is an Introductory continuing education activity.
Contact Hours:
Course requirements for Foundation of Neurodevelopmental Care includes completion within 3 months of registration, > 80% test score following each webinar and completion of course evaluation. No partial credit is available.
- This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by the American Holistic Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
- Approved to award 3.75 contact hours. AHNA Approval Number 1832.
- Approval for contact hours through the American Holistic Nurses Association is based on an assessment of the educational merit of this program and does not constitute endorsement of the use of any specific modality in the care of clients.
- This activity has been approved by the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners for 3.63 CCUs for PTs and PTAs.
- Creative Therapy Consultants is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. PD activity approval ID# 04071. This distance learning independent training is offered at 0.3 CEUs, introductory level, Occupational Therapy Service Delivery & Foundational Knowledge. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
- This PD activity is approved for 3.0 contact hours (0.3 CEUs).
*Partial credit for course will not be given.
Registration fee for the Foundation of Neurodevelopmental Care is $100.00 for individuals. Significant group discounts are available when used for complete NICU staff. If interested in the group discount, give us a call toll free at 855-CTC-NTMC or send us an email at kara@neonatalcertification.com
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