Improving Neonatal Hypoglycemia Management: Web-Based Education and Algorithm to Reduce NICU Admissions and Enhance Identification

Nursing is a career of continuous learning and professional development. Healthcare facilities require nurses to be updated with current best practices to provide safe and quality patient. Providing quality education to nurses is challenging because of the variability in their shifts, which makes it difficult to ensure that all staff members have equal access to training within a specific amount of time. Developing and implementing a web-based education module and simplifying an algorithm with real-world application can help increase clinical skills and knowledge for nurses in all patient care areas. This web-based education module increases nurses' autonomy through self-paced instruction to enrich and engage their professional development. The module and algorithm were developed and simplified to address the topic of neonatal hypoglycemia (NH) in the Women Infant Services Unit (WIS). NH is a common problem in healthy neonates transitioning from intrauterine to extrauterine life. It can profoundly affect newborns' neurocognitive development, increasing the risk for long-term learning and developmental delays. Nurses managing this unique transition period must be aware of the factors that place this population at risk of hypoglycemia, as well as proficient in identifying, managing, and treating hypoglycemia to prevent adverse effects. By implementing a web-based educational module and a simplified algorithm specific to NH, nurses will recognize the importance of early identification, which will help decrease neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions.