Neonatal Medicine Management App
An interactive and instructional Neonatal Drug Calculations mobile app to support healthcare professionals working in neonatal units.
Health Education England has a responsibility to ensure that NHS employees are available with the right skills and knowledge to deliver excellent health and patient care.
Safe and effective administration of medicines to neonates requires a combination of professional competence, best available evidence and partnership with each medicine administration event being viewed in the context of the total care of the neonate.
The need for an interactive and instructional Neonatal Drug Calculations mobile app is due to the complex calculations often required for neonatal dosages, which if wrongly administered would be potentially harmful.
Aims
To enable both the Registered and Non-Registered Workforce across Health Education Thames Valley and Wessex to demonstrate ability to check accuracy and to be able to deliver safely, therapeutic drug dosages as prescribed.
Able to use formulae to calculate drug dosages and intravenous infusions for neonates.
Demonstrate knowledge of our own professional accountability and responsibility.
Able to use the metric system and a variety of concentrations.
Identify measures to prevent blood borne infections developing in neonates requiring intravenous therapy.
Description
This is a downloadable mobile learning app for Apple and Android handheld devices.
This App contains instructional content and interactive practice exercises such as; the metric system, expressing concentrations, drug dosages, Intravenous Infusions, importance of double checking, preventing infection and a 10 question quiz at the end (pass mark 100%).
It can also be used as a reference for neonatal drug formulas and used as part of an education learning tool for Neonatal Medicines Management.
Implementation
Focus Groups, involving pre-registration students and service users, evaluated the tool.
The use of marketing posters and leaflets disseminated to all Neonatal Units and Maternity Units with video marketing and promotion at study days/meetings.
Improvement in administration and calculation errors were reported.
The tool has been used by pre-registration nurses, neonatal nurses, midwives and paediatric nurses. It could be further adapted to facilitate trainee medical staff and Pharmacists.
Challenges and Learning
The project was supported by the Lead Nurses/ Practice Educators within the Network and Health Education Wessex E –Learning Team, and the Thames Valley and Wessex Neonatal Network.
A good marketing strategy and clear, concise information about the production and key aims and objectives of the App from the beginning of the project ensured its success.
It was approved by all Trusts within the network and all Trusts now have a PC version on their e-learning platforms.
Project Lead: Kim Edwards Clinical Educator Thames Valley and Wessex ODN and Neonatal Preceptorship Programme Director Health Education Wessex
Organisation: Thames Valley and Wessex Operational Delivery Network (Neonatal) and Health Education Wessex