Training neonatal staff for the future in neonatal palliative care

Abstract

Neonatal palliative care is an emerging specialty, developing in the context of the significant prevalence of life-limiting and life-threatening conditions amongst the population treated and cared for by neonatologists and neonatal nurses. In this paper we explore the need and provision for training among practitioners in neonatal palliative care to date. We describe several different educational and training programme models with attention to structure, content and impact on participants' knowledge, capacity, competency and confidence in delivering palliative care services suggesting what is needed to ensure the highest standards of care for newborns and babies with life-limiting illness and life-threatening conditions.