PICOT: Does the utilization of a specialized neonatal neurocritical ICU nurse (NNCN) compared to a neonatal ICU nurse help to provide better comprehensive neurological assessments and outcomes for infants >37 weeks’ gestation with neurological compromise?
In the neonatal intensive care nursery, neurocritical care is also evolving as a subspecialty concept to address both supportive and preventive care and optimize neurologic outcomes for an at-risk neonatal patient population. To enhance effectiveness of this care approach, nurses must be prepared to appropriately recognize acute changes in neurologic status, implement protocols that specifically address neurologic conditions, and carefully monitor neurologic status to help prevent secondary injury. The complexity of this team approach to brain-focused care has led to the development of a specialized role: the neurocritical care nurse.
