National Association of Neonatal Nurses logo.
National Association of Neonatal Nurses logo.

The Voice of Neonatal Nursing: Where NANN Stands on Important Issues

As the professional voice of neonatal nursing, the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) is a resource on substantive issues that affect neonatal patients, their families, and the neonatal nurses and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who care for them.

NANN's position and consensus statements, shown below, discuss the background and significance of a given topic and offer succinct recommendations and conclusions, along with references from scholarly literature. Each statement is carefully reviewed and updated at established intervals.

NANN offers additional content relevant to advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), such as executive summaries and standards.

Position statements and consensus statements from your professional association in nursing are essential tools that support you in delivering high-quality care. Pairing nurses and research, these documents provide evidence-based recommendations and guidelines, ensuring you have access to the latest and most reliable information. By establishing clear standards, they help standardize practices across settings, improving patient outcomes and ensuring consistency in care.

Additionally, these statements offer educational resources and training materials that aid in nursing professional development, keeping you updated on new developments in NICU nursing.

These documents amplify the voice of the nursing profession in policy discussions, advocating for changes that benefit both nurses and patients. Addressing ethical dilemmas and legal considerations, consensus statements provide clear guidelines for navigating complex situations. When faced with challenging clinical decisions, neonatal nurses can refer to these statements for informed guidance, aligning their decisions with professional standards and best practices.

Position and Consensus Statements

NANN recommends that all clinicians serving babies and families in crisis embrace and operationalize a trauma-informed approach to care in the NICU and beyond.

NANN recommends staffing be based on the acuity of the population served and that the principles of staffing and finance be shared with frontline nurses who then have a say in the development of staffing policies. Download the RN Staffing in the NICU infographic.

NANN recommends a comprehensive approach to medication safety in the NICU that integrates technology, focused healthcare provider medication safety education, standardized medication process, and robust medication error reporting and prevention efforts. NANN recommends an array of medication safety practices to those caring for the neonatal population. Download the Medication Safety in the NICU infographic.

NANN recommends that nurses get vaccinated for COVID-19; keep abreast of the most updated information regarding vaccination; that nurses convey accurate information about the vaccines; and develop strategies to reinforce confidence in vaccination. Download the COVID-19 Vaccination Infographic.

NANN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), and the National Perinatal Association (NPA) discuss the unique challenges facing healthcare providers in reducing the risks of COVID-19 transmission while encouraging parent presence and engagement in care. AWHONN, NPA, and NANN believe that NICU parents are "essential caregivers." Download the Essential Care in the NICU during the COVID-19 Pandemic infographic. 

Read the press release related to the Essential Care in the NICU during the COVID-19 Pandemic consensus statement. 

NANN recommends women do not consume marijuana during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and lists 14 recommendations for providers addressing maternal marijuana use and its potential negative impact on neonates and infants. Download the Marijuana, Breastfeeding, and the Use of Human Milk infographic. 

Read the press release related to the Marijuana, Breastfeeding, and the Use of Human Milk position statement.

NANN reviews the statistics concerning racially-related health disparities for premature infants and gives nine recommendations for how to endorse healthcare equality for all infants in the NICU regardless of race, parental economic or educational status, or geographic area. Download the Racial Disparity in the NICU infographic.

In conjunction with the National Perinatal Association (NPA), NANN reviews and discusses the literature and recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding mother/newborn infant postpartum care in the hospital if a mother tests positive for COVID-19+. Download our Mothers with COVID-19 and Their Newborn Infants infographic. 

Read the press release related to the Mothers with COVID-19 and Their Newborn Infants position statement.

NANN emphasizes the importance of including NICU nurses in ethical decision-making processes, considering family desires, infant conditions, and the healthcare team’s ability to provide meaningful care. NANN advocates for a multidisciplinary approach, involving parents, healthcare providers, and support staff, to ensure consistent and compassionate care for critically ill newborns.

NANN recognizes that fatigue from extended work hours and sleep loss negatively impacts nursing care, compromising the safety and quality of care for neonatal patients. Despite perceived benefits, long shifts are associated with increased healthcare errors and suboptimal patient outcomes. NANN recommends countermeasures to minimize risks related to fatigue, shift length, and overtime.

NANN emphasizes the importance of human milk and breastfeeding for critically ill newborns in the NICU, advocating for neonatal nurses to provide education, support, and encouragement to mothers.

NANN discusses the importance of providing quality care to improve the quality of life for infants with life-limiting conditions and their families, recommending that neonatal nurses be trained and actively involved in setting care goals and delivering palliative services.

NANN recommends the practice of universal screening using total serum bilirubin (TSB) or transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurements, as well as efforts by neonatal nurses to educate parents and identify strategies in their institutions and practices to enhance the processes of diagnosing and managing hyperbilirubinemia.

APRN Publications

As the professional voice of neonatal nursing, NANN and its advanced practice registered nurses division, the National Association of Neonatal Nurses Advanced Practice (NANN-AP), are a resource on substantive issues that affect neonatal patients, their families, and the neonatal nurses, neonatal nurse practitioners (NPs), and neonatal clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) who care for them.
The NANN-AP publications below are specific to the unique needs of neonatal advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).

Workforce Survey

NNP Education Standards

Professional Documents for Neonatal APRNs

Clinical Practice Guidelines