Ten suggestions for skills sessions based on S.T.A.B.L.E.

While most participants agree that S.T.A.B.L.E. is a valuable course for anyone who provides care to sick babies, many are frustrated by the lack of time for “skills stations.”  You may have received a copy of the following if you took the course recently, but in case you haven’t, here are some ideas for developing some hands-on time with S.T.A.B.L.E. practices, based on the 5^th edition of the participant manual:

1)    Make copies of and laminate the information that appears inside the front and back covers of your book.  This could be the foundation of a staff “survival guide” that you keep in your “sick baby” area.

2)   Recognize that the appendices behind most modules contain slides that you might not see in class.  For instance, Appendix 1.3 addresses peripheral IV insertion and infiltration, while 1.4 talks about taping.

3)   Umbilical catheters—Appendices 1.5-1.7 are about how to determine catheter depth—these would make a good poster to go along with 1.10, which describes the insertion procedure.  1.11 addresses securing the catheter. 

4)   Needle aspiration of the chest and chest tubes—Appendix 3.1 is about skills that most of need to see at least annually, as they are “high-risk, low-volume” activities.  You might ask one of your physician colleagues to go in with you on preparing a skills session, as they likely don’t get to do these things that often, either.

5)   Another good poster that you could present comes out of Appendix 3.4, which deals with persistent pulmonary hypertension.

6)   We spend almost no time on pain management in the class, so Appendix 3.8 would also make a good poster.  What does a baby in pain look like?  What interventions and medication provide relief for the neonate?

7)   On page 143 in your manual there is a nomogram for the administration of pre-mixed dopamine.  If you will be asking your Pharmacy about ordering this medication, or even if you will continue to have the vials for mixing, consider copying this nomogram and making up a kit with it attached.

8)   The information in Appendix 4.1 would make a great presentation.  What is a subgaleal hemorrhage?  What causes it?  What is the management?