The Development of Clinical Nursing Practice Guideline for Prevention of Apnea in Preterm Infants

Abstract: Keywords: Clinical nursing practice guideline, Apnea, Preterm infant The purpose of this study was to develop clinical nursing practice guideline which can be utilized for apnea prevention in preterm infants. There were a total of 21 research reports and articles related to prevention of apnea in preterm infants. Five experts in the field of neonatology and neonatal nursing assured the guideline for accuracy in terms of content, clinical relevance, scientific merits, and potential for use in clinical practice. This guideline can be used by nurses to prevent apnea and its complications. The guideline consists of the following steps: 1) providing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) through binasal/ Hudson/ nasopharyngeal prongs; 2) providing high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC); 3) feeding with different methods: orogastric tube feeding, breast feeding with skin to skin contact, and cup feeding; 4) providing kangaroo care; 5) arranging lying position; and 6) setting the neutral thermal environment temperatures. It is recommended that this guideline should first be tested within the institutions’ neonatal unit, and outcomes should be evaluated and followed, including adaptation and development of this guideline for a suitable implementation.