Addressing Mental Health from the NICU and Beyond

Mary Vanesko MOT, OTR/L, CIMI

Online Course

Includes all course content in digital format

Prerequisites Required

Item: physi-VIDEOCWELMV12CREDIT

Description

According to the March of Dimes report card in 2020, preterm birth and its complications are the second largest contributor of infant death in the U.S., and preterm birth rates have been increasing for five years. With the increasing number of preterm births per year and the substantial economic and social-emotional burden families endure with a NICU experience, mental and physical family-centered health and wellness need to be addressed at the time of NICU admission. Long term effects of even one day of a NICU admission can result in several health-related deficits including increased familial stress, parental and caregiver post-traumatic stress disorder, and infant social-emotional and behavioral deficits to name a few.

Highlights

  • Immediately gain a deeper understanding of the neonatal intensive care unit experience and the impact it has on the neonate and family
  • Review evidence-based research of effective interventions and strategies to mitigate poor mental and physical outcomes of parents, caregivers, and infants

Learning Objectives

  1. Examine the current evidence-based research on maternal, paternal, and infant health and wellness in the neonatal intensive care unit and beyond.
  2. Implement family-centered, trauma informed, holistic evidence-based interventions and strategies in the NICU and throughout the continuum of care.

Course Content

Addressing Mental Health from the NICU and Beyond
SCORM Package
Next Steps
Module
  1. Family Health and Wellness: A Mental Health Crisis in the NICU
    1. The impact a NICU admission has on the family-infant dyad
    2. Long term and short term mental and physical outcomes on maternal/paternal and infant wellness
  2. An Integrative Approach to Family-Centered Wellness
    1. Developmental care strategies for family-centered wellness in the NICU
    2. Supporting families’ overall wellness from the NICU to transition home
    3. Implications for PT/OT/ ST
Mary Vanesko, MOT, OTR/L, CIMI has extensive clinical training and experiences as she has practiced in 4 different neonatal intensive care units, including level II, III and IV NICUS over the last decade. Mary has assisted in the implementation of an outpatient pediatric program and recently performed as the NICU expert in the build and development of a level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Mary completed her undergraduate degree at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, with a bachelor's of the arts degree in Psychology. Mary soon after received her Masters of Occupational Therapy degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mary has since been certified as an infant massage instructor and yoga instructor. She has practiced occupational therapy in many facilities across the country, including both adult and pediatric inpatient acute care and inpatient rehabilitation settings, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient pediatrics, school settings, early intervention and neonatal intensive care units. Mary has provided guest lectures at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is an active member of American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) as well as the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT). Mary has practiced Occupational therapy in 5 states and in over 10 facilities. She provides course instructor trainings for the International Loving Touch Infant Massage Foundation, certifying professionals in infant massage. She continues to work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as well as provide independent consulting services to NICU programs and therapists. She works independently to provide her occupational therapy services to the neonatal and pediatric populations and their families.

DISCLOSURES

FINANCIAL: Mary Vanesko is compensated by Summit as an Instructor. She is compensated as the owner of and consultant to WELL-Nurtured Development. She also receives compensation by Philips Health Care Solutions as a consultant, and by the International Loving Touch Foundation as a Certified Infant Massage Instructor.

NONFINANCIAL: Mary Vanesko is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) as well as the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT).

Summit receives financial support for this course from Physitrack

Click here to check accreditation for this course.

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