Ms Ann-Maree Brady1
1Children’s Health Queensland Retrieval Service (CHQRS), KALINGA, Australia
What is a Liberated Retrieval? The Children’s Health Queensland Retrieval Service (CHQRS) is partnering with the QCH PICU who are embedding Liberation into their PICU as business as usual. The goal is to optimise children’s recovery for better outcomes after critical illness. A component of this is Baby Liberation – which is family centred developmental care. it is a partnership with families to provide developmentally appropriate care to neonates & infants up to 3 months old.
How can developmental care be incorporated into retrievals? Whilst acknowledging the complexities of the retrieval environment, CHQRS have incorporated key components of developmental care into their retrieval processes.
These components include:
1. development of a “nest” that can be safely incorporated into existing equipment & if possible be adapted to meet other existing equipment
2. Developmental hearts – parents place these near their chest so their smell is transmitted to the heart. These are placed with the infant. The hope is that the communities will take the making of the hearts on as an initiative for them.
3.Brest milk on dummies if mother is breast feeding – to settle infant
4.Noise/hearing protection – undertaking study looking at nosie & sourcing better hearing protection for infants.
5. Movement of infants – infant secured in ” harness” prior to moving.
CHQRS will gain parent/carer feedback & also PICU feedback on these initiatives.
Biography:
Ann-Maree is the Clinical Nurse Consultant for the Children’s Health Queensland Retrieval Service at the Queensland Children’s Hospital, Brisbane. She has over 20 years experience in PICU & retrieval nursing nationally & internationally.