Purpose: This evidence-based practice project evaluated the efficacy of a respiratory algorithm administered by specially trained transition nurses on the reduction of preventable NICU admissions for infants experiencing mild respiratory distress during transition.
Design: A retrospective chart review compared a cohort of newborn admission rates for seven months before and seven months after initiation of a respiratory algorithm.
Sample: Records of infants were included if they were born >35 weeks' gestation, had documented mild respiratory distress after birth, required <48 hours of noninvasive respiratory support, and had a length of stay less than four days.
Results: Ninety-six infants (before n = 34, after n = 62) were included. Before implementation of the respiratory algorithm, infants requiring noninvasive respiratory support were admitted to the NICU. Following implementation of the algorithm, NICU admissions for mild respiratory distress significantly decreased (86 percent), despite a concurrent increase in maternal acuity.
Keywords: NICU; extrauterine life; newborn; respiratory distress; transition.
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