APRN Summit (Registration Required) Survey to Assess NNP Interest and Curriculum Needs Related to Complex Care of the Infant and Toddler to 2 years of Age

Infants and toddlers requiring complex care experience higher morbidity and mortality, and support for parents is often lacking post NICU-discharge. Minority infants and toddlers experience inequitable and decreased access to care leading to health disparities.

The scope of practice for neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) is to provide acute and primary care for patients from birth at any gestation through 2 years of age. NNPs often receive inadequate education for their scope of practice to care for infants and toddlers through 2 years of age for both acute and primary care. As a result, the NNP practice setting is mostly limited to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

A survey was conducted to assess NNP interest and curriculum needs related to complex care of infants and toddlers through 2 years of age. The survey identified gaps and can be used to optimize NNP education.

The optimization of NNP education to improve content on the care of infants and toddlers requiring complex care through the first 2 years of life will serve to not only enhance NNP education but also provide much-needed support to parents and caregivers and improve the care of infants and toddlers requiring complex care. Improved access to care will assist in decreasing health inequities that exist for infants and toddlers requiring complex care. With their extensive NICU background, NNPs are primed to lead efforts to improve care for these medically fragile infants.

Needs Assessment and Presentation Description: The optimization of NNP education to improve content on the care of infants and toddlers requiring complex care through the first 2 years of life will serve to not only enhance NNP education but also provide much-needed support to parents and caregivers and improve the care of infants and toddlers requiring complex care. Improved access to care will assist in decreasing health inequities that exist for infants and toddlers requiring complex care. With their extensive NICU background, NNPs are primed to lead efforts to improve care for these medically fragile infants.