Biomaterial Database

Special and intensive care baby units and nurse staffing in the UK. 1983

C H Walker

A review of neonatal special and intensive care units in the UK in 1980-81 shows that although the number of cot/incubator units provided for special care conforms with current recommendations, there is a contrasting shortfall of 40% in cot/incubator units for intensive care. Admission policies are vague, vary considerably, and not all units are engaged in the type of care for which they are officially intended. Many units would admit fewer babies if the number and level of expertise of nursing staff in postnatal wards was improved. Rationalisation and redistribution of facilities seems advisable. The number of trained nurses falls far short of those recommended. Almost 21% of units had no formal staffing establishment, and of those that did less than half were filled. The total number of nurses of all ranks and experience failed to reach recommended levels, as did the ratio of trained staff to 'others'. Recruitment of nurses to this specialty is slow and the high turnover rate endangers maintenance of high standards and continuity of patient care.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007224	Infant Care	Care of infants in the home or institution.
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007363	Intensive Care Units, Neonatal	Hospital units providing continuing surveillance and care to acutely ill newborn infants.	Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,Neonatal Intensive Care Units,Newborn Intensive Care Unit,Newborn Intensive Care Units,ICU, Neonatal,Neonatal ICU,Newborn ICU,Newborn Intensive Care Units (NICU),ICU, Newborn,ICUs, Neonatal,ICUs, Newborn,Neonatal ICUs,Newborn ICUs
D009741	Nursing Staff, Hospital	Personnel who provide nursing service to patients in a hospital.	Hospital Nursing Staff,Hospital Nursing Staffs,Nursing Staffs, Hospital,Staff, Hospital Nursing,Staffs, Hospital Nursing
D010343	Patient Admission	The process of accepting patients. The concept includes patients accepted for medical and nursing care in a hospital or other health care institution.	Voluntary Admission,Admission, Patient,Admission, Voluntary,Admissions, Patient,Admissions, Voluntary,Patient Admissions,Voluntary Admissions
D010371	Pediatric Nursing	The nursing specialty concerning care of children from birth to adolescence. It includes the clinical and psychological aspects of nursing care.	Children and Young People's Nursing,Nursing, Pediatric,Nursings, Pediatric,Pediatric Nursings
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D004510	Education, Nursing, Diploma Programs	Programs usually offered in hospital schools of nursing leading to a registered nurse diploma (RN). Graduates are eligible for state examination for licensure as RN (Registered Nurse).	Nursing Education, Diploma Programs,Diploma Programs, Nursing,Diploma Program, Nursing,Nursing Diploma Program,Nursing Diploma Programs,Program, Nursing Diploma,Programs, Nursing Diploma
D006113	United Kingdom	Country in northwestern Europe including Great Britain and the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland, located between the North Sea and north Atlantic Ocean. The capital is London.	Great Britain,Isle of Man
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man