Neonatal Nurse Practitioners in Interdisciplinary Care of High-risk Infants

Abstract

Neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) have become an integral component of interdisciplinary care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). They provide competent and cost-effective care for infants both in the NICU and following discharge. Although most NNPs care for infants in level III NICUs, they also provide other services, including functioning as first responders for high-risk deliveries and emergency services in level I and II nurseries and caring for infants in outpatient settings such as high-risk newborn follow-up clinics and pediatricians’ offices. By providing holistic, comprehensive, and consistent care to high-risk infants, NNPs facilitate optimal care to vulnerable infants both in the hospital and following discharge. The functions and achievements of NNPs are intrinsically bound to their collaborative relationships with neonatologists and other health-care practitioners. Collaboration is imperative for providing safe, optimal care; decreasing medical errors; developing evidence-based guidelines; facilitating interdisciplinary research; and educating various health-care practitioners. NNPs can serve as role models for interdisciplinary care of high-risk infants that crosses conventional role boundaries. This article discusses the history, role, and unique contributions of NNPs.