Georgia and Alice
Georgia and Alice are occupational therapists for children and young people working in the community. They have recently embarked on their journey as neonatal therapists visiting the ward once a week, they have been upskilling alongside developing a pathway for developmental follow-up. Here is a typical day in life when they’re on the 8-bed level 1 special care baby unit at Cumberland infirmary Carlisle.
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Arrive on the ward, and greet staff.
Pop into the office to have a catch-up with staff on the unit and review the daily update sheet, checking which babies are on the unit and any outliers from other units who are coming back.
Chat to staff about any babies who meet the criteria for OT on the unit (30 weeks and under or one of the at-risk factors) check that a referral has been made to OT for follow-up in the community once discharged and that the information leaflet about this has been shared.
OTs noted a baby in a cot without any boundaries in place, I discussed with the nurse caring for the baby to understand why this was, nurse agreed that there should be boundaries in place due to babies position. Discussed with parents and decided to put boundaries in place, adjust the position of the baby to side lying to promote hands to face for self-soothing, baby left settled. Entry written in notes and other staff made aware.
Georgia and Alice are also an extra pair of hands for care so supported a mum with a side-lying nappy change and another with a wrapped bath.
Chat with the ward manager to get updates on a plan to promote skin-to-skin for kangaroo care day and Georgia and Alice shared skin-to-skin leaflets and skin-to-skin audit tool.
Say goodbye to staff and leave the unit, now back to community caseload work until next week.
Over the next few months and years, we hope to become embedded into the SCBU team to further develop, promote and enhance family-centred developmental care.
