Transports

Goal: Provide the knowledge and skills required for transport of sick neonates so that residents can function independently as the leader of the neonatal transport team by the PL-2 year.

Objectives:

1. Teach residents to evaluate, identify, and manage sick neonates.
2. Teach residents all procedures in management of sick neonates.
3. Teach residents communication skills with community staff/parents.
4. Provide all PL-2's the opportunity to independently lead the transport team and supervise the PL-1.
5. Teach residents to abstract and analyze data from community hospital charts.
6. Teach cardiopulmonary monitoring and temperature homeostasis.

Resident neonatal transport experience occurs at UMass Memorial Health Care - Memorial Campus (Level III Nursery). There are over 125 neonatal ambulance transports per year from seven community hospitals in Central Massachusetts. The resident is a part of the transport team made up of a neonatal nurse and respiratory therapist. A PL-1 will be accompanied by either a PL-2, neonatal fellow, NNP, or neonatal attending until he/she demonstrates independent competence. The resident will supervise the team, evaluate the patient, review the chart, labs, and x-rays, perform diagnostic or treatment procedures, define the treatment plan, and communicate with the family, referring physician, and the teriary center. This allows the resident to develop independent clinical judgment and responsibility. The resident is also responsible for completing a transport note on admission to the NICU.
Since the NICU does not perform open heart surgery and ECMO, there are about 6-10 babies per year transported to a cardiac/ECMO center (Boston Children's or Mass General). Residents assume the responsibility of transporting these extremely sick neonates and maintain their cardio-respiratory status until transferring care to the receiving team.