Conceptualising a wellbeing-centred approach to neonatal nursing education: A discussion paper

The wellbeing of nursing staff has a significant impact on their ability to deliver safe and effective healthcare to neonates and families. Neonatal nurses experience a range of risk factors for psychological distress as a result of the high-intensity nature of their practice context, as well as the uniquely vulnerable population demographic. In addition to these factors, ongoing pandemic effects, including workforce shortages, have resulted in increased mental and physical fatigue, stress and burnout. For nursing educators, consideration of employee wellbeing must be incorporated into the development and delivery of nursing education. In the absence of a wellbeing-centred approach to education, staff motivation, capacity to learn, and ability to retain knowledge may be adversely impacted. In the tertiary neonatal intensive care unit where the authors practice as clinical neonatal nurse educators, there are a range of means by which staff personal and professional wellbeing has been integrated as a key consideration in the development and delivery of neonatal nursing education.