This course is for neonatal practitioners who want to develop their knowledge and skills in caring for the neonate and their family. It has been designed to equip you with the knowledge, critical thinking skills, and proactive approach necessary to excel as a neonatal practitioner, ready to meet the complex challenges of modern neonatal care. You will explore both the underpinning physiology and care provision required for practice. All aspects of the role will be considered from the fundamentals to high dependency and intensive care.

Neonatal practitioners provide care for an extremely vulnerable population and need to undertake accredited training appropriate to a Qualification in Specialty (QIS) (DH, 2009) in a neonatal setting. This course has been developed to align with the National standards for neonatal qualified in specialty (QIS) education (2024).

The course will develop your skills of enquiry, reflection and problem solving. You will be encouraged to think critically and share practice experiences as well as engage in both directed and self-directed learning activities. The course is delivered through blended learning, with a mixture of online and in-person sessions, in line with the universitys learning and teaching strategy.

We offer the option to study standalone modules as well as a full degree or Masters qualification, so that you can build your learning to suit your needs.

On successful completion of part 1 and part 2, you will achieve the Qualified in Specialty (QIS) aspect of this course. You can then progress to further modules to enhance your knowledge and understanding of research, quality improvement and leadership, thus enhancing your practice and professional development.

Employability

This course will enable you to enhance your knowledge and understanding of research, quality improvement and leadership, which will enhance your practice and professional development. Previous students have gone on to roles such as clinical educator, promotion to band 6, family integrated care lead and infant feeding lead.