Connors Center Staff Educate Parents about Shaken Baby Syndrome
Back row from left: Sunil Eappen, MD, Julianne Mazzawi, RN, Mary Foxon, RN, and Jeanne Carey, RN. Front row from left: Joann Slyman, RN, Joy Oakes, RN and Cynthia Loring, RN.
A team of nurses has been central to new education efforts for parents around preventing shaken baby syndrome.
“We want to teach parents how to comfort a crying baby and not to get stressed and resort to something that could harm a child,” said Julianne Mazzawi, MS, RN, Quality Program manager for the Connors Center. “Health care professional involvement in prevention is essential to reduce the incidence, morbidity and mortality that results from Shaken Baby Syndrome.”
Massachusetts passed legislation in 2006 mandating education on shaken baby syndrome for health professionals who work in hospitals with birthing centers. The Department of Public Health (DPH) recently developed guidelines about shaken baby syndrome for health care providers. This legislation also requires that education be provided to all new parents and documented prior to discharge.
Partnering with DPH on the education component for staff, a team of Connors Center nurses and others were trained to educate their nursing, PCA and social work colleagues to most effectively educate parents on preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome, which can cause fatality or brain damage resulting in life-long disability.
“The nurses on the shaken baby syndrome education team did an outstanding job educating staff throughout the Float Pool, post partum units and NICU,” Mazzawi said.
The education team includes Mary Foxon, MS, RNC, Jeanne Carey, BSN, RN, Joann Slyman, RN, Joy Oakes, BSN, RN, Cynthia Loring, MS, RNC, Susan Dennett, RN, ADN, IBCLC, Colleen Myers, BSN, RN, Claire Zaya, BSN, RN, Mary Louise Demick, BSN, RN, Barbara Cummings, MSN, RN, Annmarie McKay, RN, ADN, Dot Curtis, BSN, RN, Judy Lydon, BSN, RN, Kim Smelstor, BSN, RN, Marie Field, MS, RN, Christina Meehan, MSN, RN, Jen Fluckinger, BSN, RN, Kathleen Bennell, BSN, RN, Judy McBain, BSN, RN, Kristen Gula, BSN, RN, Joann Morey, BSN, RN, Julie Donnelly, BSN, RN, Deirdre Greene, MSN, RN, Paulette Melanson, MSN, RNC, OGNP, DNPc, and Julianne Mazzawi, MS, RN.
Staff from all disciplines within the Connors Center have embraced this new mandate. Post partum units and the NICU are leading the way to provide new parents at BWH with the information, skills and support needed to cope with challenges and plan for those difficult times when caring for a new infant.
“We want to exceed the standards set by the Department of Public Health and do the best job we can to protect babies by educating their parents,” said Sunil Eappen, MD, clinical director for Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, who is a member of the DPH Shaken Baby Prevention Initiative Committee.