Neonatal Nursing

NEONATAL NURSING CERTIFICATE COURSE : FIRST TIME IN INDIA 2003

Newborn care in India is still in infancy and the department of Neonatology envisages that complete emphasis on skilled neonatal nursing, especially ventilatory care would be the foundation to start the gradual process of implementing advanced ventilatory care in the country. The department already has fellowship programmes in neonatology and on hands training programmes, with the vision to have one ventilatory trained pediatrician in every district of India by 2010. Currently specialists from Rajasthan and Delhi are undergoing fellowship training and the next batch will concentrate more on Gujarat, West Bengal and Assam. This structured course in neonatal nursing is similar to western standards with lectures, bedside teaching and on hands experience in the care of ventilated babies. This programme, as explained by Dr.P.K.Rajiv, Head of Newborn Services, AIMS, one of the most well recognized ventilatory specialists in the country, goes one step ahead in that in the last 3 months of training, the nurses will be imparted medical knowledge to effectively treat critical lung disorders in the newborn period. The Department of Newborn Services has already treated 3874 babies in its 7 year period with 96% survival, which is a national record. As an extension of this service, Dr.Rajiv feels that Neonatal Nursing Training will be the center point to improve critical Newborn care in the country, wherein, this department can contribute significantly by being in its center point.

This course will be the first of its kind in the country and has a projection in that over the next 5 years, fully trained ventilatory nurses will complement the doctors to set up their own advanced newborn care units in each district of the country. Dr. Rajiv feels that with the immense support of Amritha Institutions, such programmes can be developed in most other centers in the country to accelerate and consolidate the momentum initiated by his department in improving newborn care in the country. He feels "Vidya Danam is Maha Danam", which is in keeping with the principles of Mata Amritanandamayi Math and the Global Mission of Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.