Course introduction:
Globally, there is a growing scarcity of qualified ophthalmologists to complete ROP screening exams, yet Neonatal Intensive Care Units must provide comprehensive screening capabilities for Retinopathy of Prematurity to provide appropriate care for their term infants.
Through the use of telemedicine and digital retinal fundus photography, nurses can aid in battling the growing challenges of low ophthalmologist availability, geographical and distance challenges and bring expert care to infants around the world, independent of location. Screening can be performed at a time that meets infant and family needs – and images reviewed and reported at a time then convenient for the ophthalmologist.
Shifting to a nurse-driven telemedicine program from traditional methods of ROP screening can seem daunting for registered nurses. Armed with the right tools and resources, this course will discuss how registered nurses can be empowered to run very successful and comprehensive ROP Screening exams within their home NICUs.

Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this seminar the participants will be able to:
• Compare the benefits of telemedicine ROP Screening with traditional ROP Screening
• Identify potential barriers to telemedicine program creation within the NICU
• Discuss the key elements of building a successful hybrid, interdisciplinary telemedicine screening program
• Identify training practices for the initial and ongoing competency validation of Registered Nurses as Screening Specialists
• Examine the benefits of a nurse-driven ROP telemedicine program

CE Credits: 
This course is valid for 1.0 CE Contact hours.
Natus Medical Incorporated is a Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 16614, for 1.0 contact hours