Evaluation of the Impact of the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program on the Pretransport Care of the Neonate

Abstract

Purpose: To determine whether the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program increases health care providers’ confidence and clinical abilities in pretransport stabilization and to assess the care of transported neonates before and after S.T.A.B.L.E. Program education.Design: A descriptive design was used to evaluate health care providers’ confidence about pretransport stabilization and to assess infant outcomes before and after S.T.A.B.L.E. education.Sample: Sixty-four participants in the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program in Nova Scotia participated in this study over a 13-month period. The study evaluated the charts of all neonates transported to the IWK Health Centre over two one-year periods, before and after the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program.Main Outcome Variable: Perceived confidence and incorporation of S.T.A.B.L.E. Program principles among regional health care providers and neonatal stability at time of transfer were measured.Results: Ninety-six percent of participants indicated that the course was relevant and useful. Ninety percent indicated that they felt more confident about their ability to provide neonatal pretransport stabilization, and 86.5 percent reported adoption of the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program principles into their practice. There were no differences in infant outcomes between the pre- and post-S.T.A.B.L.E. time periods.