Children's National Neonatal Nutrition Traineeship
Children's National Neonatal Nutrition Traineeship provides a unique teaching opportunity for registered dietitians nationwide. Neonatal nutrition support practice requires a high level of education and specialized training that is not readily available in current teaching programs. The teaching opportunity at Children's provides registered dietitians with skills and knowledge that will allow them to practice safely, efficiently and effectively in NICUs across the country. The program teaches participants to:
- Assess growth and nutritional requirements of neonates by gestational age and birth weight
- Evaluate appropriate enteral and parenteral nutrition initiation and advancement schemes
- Assess micronutrient and macronutrient needs of neonates at different gestational ages
- Adjust fluid, electrolyte and nutrition support regimes based on clinical status
- Actively participate in making recommendations to the neonatal medical team and writing nutrition support orders
- Identify metabolic complications associated with medications used in the NICU
- Evaluate laboratory values as they relate to metabolic status
- Evaluate ways to institute a neonatal nutrition support program in your facility
- One-on-one education
- Participation in medical rounds
- Hands on assessment of patients and development of enteral and parenteral nutrition support regimes
- Teaching modules with a qualified dietitian, physicians and ancillary staff
- Attendance at neonatal nutrition support rounds and presentation of assigned patients