This 9-page paper is a proposal to include a child life therapist on the staff of a neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital. Topics under discussion inclue a SWOT analysis of such a move, as well as costs and ultimate cost benefits. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Name of Research Paper File: D0_MTneocar.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
of the number of premature newborns. At one point, if a child was born ahead of his or her time, there was no chance for survival. However, the invention of
the incubator changed all of that; and in recent years, much technology has been developed that focuses on keeping neonates alive until such time that theyre ready to venture into
the outside world and travel back to their family. In fact, estimates from one study notes that neonatal deaths among infants weight less than 3.3 pounds decreased nearly 50 percent
between 1990 and 1995 with the name two NICUs (Research Activities, 1999). This, however, doesnt mean that all ends well. Many times,
families, which are unprepared as to the care of neonates, end up stressed and angry. Its difficult enough to adapt a newborn child into a family structure. But add on
to that the special needs of neonates, and the problems are exacerbated. Furthermore, even with all the technology available to keep preemies alive, there isnt really any personnel available to
instruct or counsel the anxious parents when they bring the baby home. Because of that, its recommended that this particular hospital consider
adding a child life therapist for a neonatal intensive care unit (ICU). This person would be a trained therapist, with the sole purpose of educating and consulting families (and mothers
in particular) as to what they can and should expect, and when its appropriate to call in for help. This person would also follow up with parents on a regular
basis to determine if everything is going all right. In this paper, well examine some factors that would lead to the development