Neonatal Care Training

Overview

The SFDPH Neonatal Care Training Program is tailored to provide newly graduated or inexperienced Registered Nurses with the essential skills and knowledge required to deliver family-centered care for a critically ill infant within a dynamic and collaborative interdisciplinary team. 

About the NICU

The Neonatal Infant Care Center (NICU) is licensed for 13 NICU beds and 5 well-baby beds, providing Community Level III-Intensive Care as well as Well-Newborn care. Our NICU is meticulously equipped and fully staffed to attend to the unique needs of preterm infants who may not be stable enough to room in with their mothers.

Patients admitted to our unit range from infants at 23 weeks gestational age to full-term babies. The comprehensive management of these infants involves various interventions, including but not limited to conventional mechanical ventilation, high-frequency ventilation, inhaled nitric oxide, and central hyper-alimentation.

Infants may be re-admitted for conditions such as possible sepsis, phototherapy, dehydration, apnea, and respiratory distress. Our NICU also provides care to pediatric patients, up to 24 months of age (non-trauma), who require continuous physiologic monitoring or intensive care.

Essential Job Functions

By participating in this program, you will play a vital role in delivering nursing care to critically ill infants. Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing safe and complex care to critically ill infants by assessing and identifying risk factors using screening tools and adhering to NICU standard

• Conducting accurate and continuous assessments of infants, devising appropriate and targeted nursing care plans for patients

• Administering complex medications with precision and meticulous attention to detail, in accordance with NICU policies and standards

• Maintaining concise, complete, and timely documentation of patient assessments, interventions, and outcomes to ensure accurate records and continuity of care

• Demonstrating critical thinking skills and effective prioritization of care to address the unique needs of critically ill infants

• Collaborating with the interdisciplinary care team, including families, to provide patient/family-centered care

• Delegating appropriate care and tasks to peers and assistants

• Providing education to the family regarding the infant’s health and developmental status

Training Program Objective

Our objective is to equip you with the following skills and knowledge:

• Proficiently and safely manage a semi-intensive care unit assignment with three patients upon completion of the program

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of critical care principles and practices, ensuring the delivery of high-quality care to critically ill patients

• Confidently and competently function as a vital member of the interdisciplinary critical care team, contributing to the well-being and recovery of patients in a dynamic healthcare setting

Successful Applicant Profile

To thrive in our program, successful applicants should possess the following qualities:

• Completion of a minimum of one year in Medical-Surgical acute care nursing or successful completion of senior preceptorship in Neonatal Intensive Care during nursing school

• Possession of a valid permanent/temporary California Registered Nurse License

• Possession of BLS and NRP certification, with PALS certification acquired within 6 months of the start date

• Demonstrates a commitment to providing care for vulnerable and underserved patients, especially within the San Francisco community

• Showcases a strong foundation for developing crucial critical thinking skills

• Ability to connect with and advocate for ill infants and their families