International Activities and Courses
American Samoa Trip Report
International
Summary
Honduras Trip
Report
Kiribati Trip Report
The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program International Implementation
Updated October 12, 2004
S.T.A.B.L.E. is an education program that focuses exclusively on the post-resuscitation/pre-transport stabilization care of sick neonates. “S.T.A.B.L.E.” stands for the six assessment parameters taught in the course: Sugar + Safe care, Temperature, Airway, Blood pressure, Lab work, and Emotional support. This valuable, accessible and easy-to-remember resource serves as a concise guide for organizing the many details and interventions necessary for stabilizing a sick infant. Since 1996, the program has been taught to more than 50,000 nursing, respiratory therapy, and physician participants in more than 20 countries!
In 2003-2004, the March of Dimes conducted an extensive expert review of the program. Reviewers included nationally known physicians and nurses in the field of neonatal care. The experts agreed that the S.T.A.B.L.E. education program is accurate and of high quality, meets an important need, and is relevant to the March of Dimes’ mission and their prematurity campaign. The March of Dimes has endorsed the S.T.A.B.L.E Program for use by all health caregivers involved in newborn care.
Summary of S.T.A.B.L.E. International Activities
The S.T.A.B.L.E. education program offers two types of courses; Learner courses (L) or Learner and Instructor courses (L + I). Instructor training is undertaken when countrywide implementation is requested.
S.T.A.B.L.E. has been implemented in many countries outside of the United States, including Canada, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Bahamas, Thailand, Philippines, Guatemala, Argentina, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Romania, Lithuania, Nepal, Ghana, and Kiribati. S.T.A.B.L.E. has also been taught in Afghanistan with a recent request for implementation in Kuwait. In February 2005, S.T.A.B.L.E. instructor training will occur for neonatologists attending the Mexico Congress of Neonatology.
The program has been translated into Spanish, Lithuanian and Latvian, with planned translations in Romanian and Nepali. International Relief Teams, San Diego, CA, (www.irteams.org ) has partnered with The S.T.A.B.L.E. Program to undertake translations and course implementation in developing countries. Coordination with the Pan America Health Organization to implement the Neonatal-Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (N-IMCI) course with S.T.A.B.L.E. is also underway.
| Brief International Program History | |
| 1996 | US and Canada - first L + I courses taught. |
| 2000 | Ireland – L + I training at the request of the national
transport program coordinators, and Drs. Tony Ryan and Hamza Abdalla,
Cork. International version for developed nations created. Bahamas – L + I training at the request of the Ministry of Health and coordinated through administrators at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau. |
| 2001 | Northern Ireland – L + I training at the request of Dr. John Jenkins and the Neonatal Intensive Care Outcomes Research and Evaluation (NICORE) group. |
| 2002 | Thailand – L + I training organized by the Thai Physicians
Association of America. The course has been incorporated into the
regular medical student curriculum in this country. Philippines – L + I training of physicians at the request of neonatologists, Dr. Chat Corpuz and Dr. Emil Hernandez, who identified major problems with post-resuscitation neonatal stabilization. Guatemala and Argentina – L courses sponsored by the Brigham Young University outreach program, Provo, Utah. |
| 2003 | El Salvador – L + I training at the request of the
Ministry of Health following establishment of a national neonatal
transport system. Nepal – L courses taught by Lead instructor Ms. Beryl Brooks from Savannah, Georgia on a Peace Corps mission. International Relief Teams will continue Ms. Brook’s efforts to ensure the program is nationally implemented in Nepal. (Nepali translation and countrywide instructor training planned). Ghana, Africa – L courses taught by LDS Humanitarian Services, Salt Lake City, Utah. Afghanistan – Translation to Farsi was undertaken by pediatricians in Afghanistan following learner courses by U.S. nurses and physicians on a humanitarian mission from the Public Health Service. Reports indicate the program is ‘reversing morbidity’ in this country. |
| 2004 | Honduras – L + I training accomplished by LDS Humanitarian
Services, Salt Lake City, Utah. Kiribati, South Pacific – L course taught by LDS Humanitarian Services outreach team. Lithuania – translation and countrywide instructor training by International Relief Teams, San Diego CA. |
| Future implementation | |
| 2004 | Latvia countrywide instructor training by International Relief Teams, San Diego CA. (translation completed). |
| 2005 | Kuwait, Mexico, Romania (translation planned) instructor courses. |
Military
The US Navy is in its fourth year of providing S.T.A.B.L.E. training to graduating pediatric residents, so that S.T.A.B.L.E. may be taught to nurses, corpsmen, and other physicians at Navy facilities worldwide including Cuba, Puerto Rico, Japan, Italy, Guam, and Iceland.
How is the program administered?
The S.T.A.B.L.E. education program involves an eight-hour, interactive
didactic presentation by experts in neonatal nursing or medicine. Supporting
course materials include learner and instructor manuals, CD ROM slide
programs, and quick reference bedside cards.
Who should take the S.T.A.B.L.E. Learner
Course?
Any health caregiver who is involved with post-resuscitation or pre-transport
care of sick newborns or who provides well-baby care:
Nurses: Labor and delivery, postpartum, well baby nursery, emergency room, neonatal intensive care, midwives, licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants.
Physicians: Family practice, pediatric and emergency room physicians, including doctors in training.
Others: Respiratory therapists; pre-hospital providers (emergency medical personnel).
International Reports