
The Riley Neonatal Nursing Conference will feature the wonderful care taking place inside the hospital, as well as emerging trends.
A first of its kind conference highlighting the elite neonatal care taking place at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health is set for next month.
The Riley Neonatal Nursing Conference will not only feature emerging trends in care, but feature the key players inside Riley.
Among the topics: opioid use in pregnant women, handling the death of a baby, the benefits of antibiotic therapy and the Riley Maternity and Newborn Health Center.

“We lead the way in neonatal care in the state of Indiana,” says Anne Jorgensen, RN, MS, NNP. “We want to highlight the hospital and let people see what we are doing and learn from what we are doing.”
The Conference’s 7 Trending Topics
Palliative Care and Bereavement Support in the NICU: Best Practices-- Jason Niehaus, MD and Allison Allen, RN, BSN
For parents and families, the sadness associated with the death of a newborn baby is unimaginable. Mounting evidence shows that neonatal nurses and physicians that have received education and training in palliative and bereavement care can make a lasting and lifetime difference for these families. All nurses caring for babies -- in any hospital setting -- will benefit from this amazing presentation. Learn the core concepts, values, and best practices of palliative and bereavement care in the NICU.
Riley’s Maternity and Newborn Health Center: A Comprehensive Plan to Improve Perinatal and Newborn Outcomes in Indiana -- David Boyle, MD
Hear firsthand from Dr. Boyle, the medical director of Riley’s Maternity and Newborn Health Center, about Riley’s comprehensive plan aimed at improving Indiana’s maternal and infant health outcomes through improved access to safe, high-quality and coordinated medical care.
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy: What’s New and Cool -- Ulrike Mietsch, MD and Mary Beth Koch, DNP, NNP-BC, C-NPT
Therapeutic hypothermia is well established as standard treatment for infants with moderate to severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Moreover, there is compelling evidence that hypothermia is most protective when it is started as early as possible. Gain improved understanding of therapeutic hypothermia and its role on cerebral metabolism and neuro protection in infants at risk for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. All nurses working with newborns will benefit from this very important presentation.
BPD: Rates, Causes, and Consequences and the Role of Non-Invasive Respiratory Support in Decreasing the BPD Burden -- Rebecca Rose MD, MS and Andrew Chastain, MSPAS, RRT-NPS, PA-C

While survival rates have improved, particularly of our tiniest infants, the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is increasing. This presentation reviews the pathogenesis of BPD, the reasons why non-invasive respiratory support may be a better treatment option for some babies, the different types on non-invasive respiratory devices, their mechanisms of action and the evidence supporting their use.
Antibiotic Stewardship in the NICU -- Katie Malloy PharmD, BCPS and Chad Sikora RN, MSN, NNP-BC
The benefits of antibiotic therapy in the NICU cannot be overstated.
However, the continued use of antibiotics without any microbiological justification poses additional morbidity risk for hospitalized preterm newborns. This presentation gives nurses the information they need to understand the principles and practices of antibiotic stewardship in the NICU.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: Providing Family-Centered Care -- Emily Scott, MD
The number of pregnant women with opioid use disorder has quadrupled in 15 years. Consequently, admissions to the NICU for NAS have dramatically increased. While medication management has traditionally been the mainstay of treatment, new evidence suggests that optimizing supportive care and family involvement can lead to better outcomes.
Optimizing Nutritional Management in Very Low Birth Weight Infants – Elisabeth Parobechek, RN, MSN, NNP-BC
In the very low birth weight infant population, high rates of postnatal growth restriction is serious problem that is associated with adverse long term developmental outcomes. This presentation provides evidence-based recommendations for the nutritional management of VLBW infants, which will optimize growth and development and reduce postnatal growth restriction.
Riley Neonatal Nursing Conference
When: 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18. Registration and continental breakfast begins at 7 a.m.
Where: Goodman Hall, IU Health Neuroscience Center, 362 W. 15th St., Indianapolis.
Cost: $100 – nurses and advanced practice providers; $125 – physicians; $75 – residents and fellows.
Register here.
-- By Dana Benbow, Senior Journalist at IU Health.
Reach Benbow via email dbenbow@iuhealth.org or on Twitter @danabenbow.