Instructor:
R. Bertie Gatlin, PT, DScPT

  • Roberta Gatlin has the following relevant financial relationships to disclose: Brooks Rehabilitation; Honorarium and does not have any non-financial relationships to disclose.

Course Location:
Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital – University Campus
3599 University Blvd S., Jacksonville, Florida 32216

Course Description:
This course is designed to provide the student with the knowledge base to be able to successfully enter into a formal mentoring program to learn the hands-on skills to practice safely and effectively in the NICU environment. Because physical therapy practice in the NICU environment is not considered entry level practice by the Section on Pediatrics (APTA), students are strongly advised to complete a formal mentoring process on NICU practice before working in the NICU.

Course Objectives:
Following completion of course, the student will be able to:
– Discuss the theoretical basis and the evidence-based outcomes for therapeutic services in the NICU
– Identify typical terminology, equipment, roles of team members and common abbreviations used in the NICU
– Identify common self-regulation signals displayed by premature infants
– Describe the different state behaviors displayed by premature infants
– Discuss typical motor and sensory development observed in premature infants.
– Discuss various factors which impact the epidemiology of premature births
– Discuss the pathophysiology of common medical diagnoses found in the NICU, the outcome of these diagnoses and potential impact a therapeutic management/treatment intervention may have with the infant and family/caregiver
– Discuss and recognize evidence-based research and clinical application for therapeutic evaluation, assessment and intervention in the NICU
– Discuss and identify the various components of a physical evaluation and examination of a premature infant and their family during their NICU stay
– Recognize valid and reliable standardized testing tools available for assessment with an infant in the NICU environment
– Provide rationale for selection of a therapeutic intervention with an infant and their family/caregiver while in the NICU
– Provide evidence-based thoughts and comments for recommendations of follow up care of an infant and family/caregiver after discharge from the NICU.

Intended Audience:
This course is relevant for PT, PTA, OT, OTA, SLP, SLPA, RN, LPN, CNA, ARNP, Social Work, and Audiologists.

Disclaimer: Registrations from individuals with clinical designations not listed in the intended audience for this course may be subject to removal from the course roster without a full refund. If you are unsure or have questions related to the intended audience, please email CEU@brooksihl.org and we will be happy to help clarify!

Contact Hours:
This course has been approved for 18 contact hours by the following boards:

  • Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice
  • Florida Board of Occupational Therapy

This course has been approved for 15 contact hours by the following boards

  • Florida Board of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology
  • Florida Board of Nursing

Continuing Education credit for each participant who meets the satisfactory course completion requirements (licensed in FL) will be automatically uploaded to CE Broker, which means the Florida Boards will have record of your attendance, even if you do not have your own personal CE Broker account. Course certificates will be provided at the completion of the course for those that meet the course completion requirements. Certificates will be mailed for courses that include a post-course test.

Enrollment:
If you are a Brooks Clinician and want to pay by cost center, please fill out this registration form and return the check and form to the Brooks IHL.

Satisfactory Course Completion:
Full course attendance (including signing the attendance sheet each day), performance demonstrations and question and answer session.

Course Evaluation/Survey:
Within 48 hours of course completion, you will receive a post course survey. The IHL values your feedback and we thank you in advance for taking the survey.