Neonatal Intensive Care Elective
We offer a 4-week pediatric subspecialty elective in neonatal intensive care at our NICUs at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Boardman and Aulman Hospital in North Canton. You must be a 4th year medical student to apply.
This elective is reserved exclusively for students who have chosen pediatrics as their career.
Akron Campus
Objectives
- Gain exposure to the spectrum of diagnoses and pathophysiology encountered in critically ill neonates
- Gain an understanding of treatment options and approaches to their disease states
- Develop critical thinking and the ability to communicate by a systems approach to the team in order to implement a cohesive treatment plan
- Become part of a multidisciplinary, family-centered team in order to improve the patient’s condition
Description
- Observe and participate in the NICU microsystem during admissions, stabilization and treatment of neonates
- Carry a workload consistent with your training level including examinations, development of a treatment plan, and reporting on the patient’s condition in rounds
- Interact with all members of the team – attendings, residents, neonatal nurse practitioners, RNs, consultants and other ancillary personnel
- Attend Noon Conferences with the residents
- Sign out your patients to the on-call team
- Night call/special requirements: Not required but may be available depending on call-room availability. One day every weekend is free from rounding responsibilities.
Mahoning Valley Campus
Objectives
- Gain experience in delivery room management of newborns
- Gain experience in routine neonatal problems and participate in the management of high risk, full term and preterm neonates
Description
- Participate in daily inpatient NICU rounds
- Assume regular schedule under direct supervision of attending neonatologist
- Be “first contact” on assigned patients, following introduction phase
- Participate in Journal Club discussion
- Attend pediatric grand rounds and perinatal conference
- Typical schedule: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Aultman Campus
Objectives
- Recognize the spectrum of diagnoses and pathophysiology encountered in critically ill neonates.
- Recognize signs and symptoms which distinguish the sick from the well newborn.
- Obtain an accurate perinatal history and perform a complete physical exam on a newborn.
- Correlate basic science knowledge with clinical disease in neonatal period.
- Anticipate, recognize, and treat a newborn who needs resuscitation.
- Describe treatment options and approaches to their disease states.
- Develop critical thinking and the ability to communicate by a systems approach to the team in order to implement a cohesive treatment plan.
- Function as part of a multidisciplinary, family-centered team in order to improve the patient's condition.
Description
- Students will be part of the Neonatal Intensive Care Team including carrying their own small patient load.
- The student will be responsible for rounding on these patients with the NICU team as well as participate in the plan of care for all patients.
- Procedures will be performed on an as needed basis.
- Attend deliveries, see patients in Well Baby Nursery and NICU with the NICU nurses, nurse practitioners, or neonatologist, and assist in infant resuscitation procedures, as experience permits.
- Participate in prenatal consultation and post-discharge clinics: Apnea, NICU developmental follow-up.
- Student will be responsible for a 20-30 minute presentation at the end of the rotation on a neonatal subject of his or her choosing – subject to approval by the attending.
