Antibiotic Stewardship: A Call to Action for All Neonatal Nurses

Only available as part of a package

This session is primer about antibiotic resistance (ABR) and stewardship (AS) and a call to action for members of the neonatal team. Participants will leave with individualized plans to leverage in their worksite.

Antibiotics are essential, however inappropriate use contributes to the development of ABR. An estimated 90% of neonates are exposed to antibiotics in the NICU. This contributes to negative outcomes such as NEC and fungal infections, and future health problems like childhood obesity, and asthma. A recent survey of NICU nurses found that over half administered an antibiotic they thought was inappropriate and most do not question providers about antibiotic choice, dose, or route. AS is a core strategy to combat ABR and is intended to ensure patient safety through coordinated inter-professional interventions to optimize antibiotic use.

The session reviews NANN’s coinciding conference priorities of patient and medication safety, quality care, teamwork, and evidence-based infection control practices, and the historical background of ABR and neonatal effects. Key tenants of AS will be explained; bedside as well as advanced practice nurses will learn how to question which areas of their institution may benefit from intervention. Case presentations will help nurses think critically about best practices including ways to implement AS modalities.

Despite a wealth of information in the literature, much is focused on adults. The discussion will identify gaps in knowledge for the neonate and offer areas for future investigation.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this activity, participant(s) will be able to...
Define, compare, and contrast antibiotic resistance (ABR) and antibiotic stewardship (AS).
Discuss the inter-professional nature of antibiotic stewardship (AS) teams and outline the various roles neonatal caretakers can take on.
Describe one intervention the learner can personally implement upon return to their home hospital to affect antibiotic stewardship (AS).

CE Credit Information:

Participants can earn 1 CE credit and 1 pharmacology credit for viewing the presentation and completing the evaluation.

The National Association of Neonatal Nurses is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Michele K. Savin, DNP, APRN, NNP-BC, CNE, FAWHONN

Associate Professor and Neonatal Program Director

Thomas Jefferson College of Nursing

Dr. Michele Savin has worked with women and children for over 35 years. As the Director of the Thomas Jefferson College of Nursing Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program she is responsible for the growth and development of novice neonatal nurse practitioners (NNP’s) from around the country. Her clinical practice is with Nemours Children’s Health in a busy level four Mid- Atlantic NICU. Michele presents both locally and nationally on neonatal topics. Some of Michele’s volunteer work includes reviewing manuscripts for NANN and AWHONN and supporting curricular development here and abroad. She is always honored to have the opportunity to volunteer with and present at NANN.

Ksenia Zukowsky, PhD, CRNP, NNP-BC

Chair Graduate Program Jefferson College of Nursing

Thomas Jefferson College of Nursing

An outstanding educator, clinician, and mentor with broad expertise in women’s health and neonatal issues, and in matters related to care of the disabled and rural health care, Dr. Ksenia Zukowsky serves as Chair of Jefferson College of Nursing Graduate Program. She also is an assistant professor at Jefferson College of Nursing.

As an expert in neonatal nutrition, growth and development and palliative care, Dr. Zukowsky’s research demonstrated that feeding at least some human milk to otherwise-healthy low-birth weight premature infants led to improved mental and motor development assessments at six-month corrected age.

Dr. Zukowsky authored and initiated the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program at Jefferson College of Nursing and also initiated the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner role in Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s intensive care nursery.

Her work to develop online graduate nursing programs to improve care in underserved communities helped to increase the number of neonatal nurse practitioners working in rural Pennsylvania.
Dr. Zukowsky is a volunteer and consultant to Project HOPE in Neonatal Nursing Curriculum and mentors graduate faculty in Serra Leone and Malawi.