Competencies for structured professional development of neonatal nurses in South Africa

Abstract

Competent nursing staff in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can make the difference between life and death for sick and premature babies. Unique challenges exist in neonatal practice owing to a high-risk period of adaptation in the days after birth, whether the context is resource limited or equipped with the newest technology. Globally, in 2016, 2.7 million babies died in their first month of life, and an additional 2.6 million were stillborn. [1] Fifteen million babies (1 in 10 live births) are born prematurely every year, one million of whom die due to complications of prematurity. [2] Neonatal mortality is a serious problem worldwide. Newborn infants who need special care are prone to suffer injury, with long-term morbidity or even death. Neonatal outcomes can only be optimised and sustained if the nurses who are responsible for the care have the necessary knowledge and skills. [3] It is, however, important to clarify exactly what the specific knowledge, skills and attributes (competencies) should be. The working group of the Council of International Neonatal Nurses [4] has stated that 'neonatal nursing is a highly specialised field. To meet the complex needs of neonates and their families, there must be uniform qualifications and competencies to support standard knowledge and clinical performance. ' In the South African (SA) context, nurses play a key role in neonatal practice, but they have various levels of competency as they are trained via different programmes with different levels of knowledge, skills and attributes. The SA Nursing Council (SANC) has not recognised neonatal nursing as an individual specialised qualification since 2012, [5] which

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