Professional Purpose Statement

National Association of Neonatal Nurses

to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, January 28th – February 4th, 2023

Delegation Leader: Ms. Rachael L Zastrow

PROFESSIONAL PURPOSE STATEMENT

A delegation of highly skilled professionals with the expertise and experience as Neonatal Nurses have been selected to exchange ideas and address common issues with their professional counterparts in the United Arab Emirates, under the auspices of the Citizen Ambassador Program of Cultural Vistas, a US non-profit NGO, with extensive experience in developing counterpart professional exchanges. This delegation has been developed in consultation with the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN).

Our primary objective for this delegation is to gain an understanding and appreciation for Neonatal Care in the UAE, the role of Neonatal Nurses. We will accomplish this objective through dialog with colleagues, and through professional and cultural visits.

The following subjects are of particular interest to the delegation. These topics may be further refined to incorporate the specialized interest and expertise of the individual delegates.

  1. Education and preparation for practice in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  2. Model of care delivery in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  3. Structure of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (general bay, shared rooms, private patient rooms)
  4. Role of the parents in care of their infant, such as visitation, kangaroo care, rooming in, etc.
  5. Professional services offered in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy/Speech Therapy)
  6. Advance Practice Registered Nurses roles in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  7. Long term follow-up care and community resources to support Neonatal Intensive Care Unit patients

The delegates will be prepared to participate in formal and informal discussions of a professional nature.

It is intended that these exchanges will facilitate increased learning for both the host professional and for the U.S. delegation and will offer contributions of international understanding at the career and personal levels for all.

The National Association of Neonatal Nurses  has selected Ms. Rachel Zastrow, 2023 President of the National Association of Neonatal nurses as leader of the delegation.  Ms. Zastrow has provided guidance in the development of the topics of discussion listed above.  Below is a brief biography for Ms. Zastrow.

Rachael Zastrow, NNP-BC APNP CPNP-PC

Rachael Zastrow is the 2023 President of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) and bring over 15 years of clinical experience as a bedside and advanced practice nurse. As a dually certified primary care

pediatric and neonatal nurse practitioner, Ms. Zastrow had the unique ability to look at both the intensive care

side of caring for a premature or ill neonate and the well childcare they will need once discharged

home.

Before joining the NANN Board of Directors as a Director at Large in 2019, Ms. Zastrow was the President of the State of Wisconsin Association of NANN and an Emerging Leader Fellow (ELF) with NANN and the

Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal.

Ms. Zastrow’s interests include the education and leadership development of neonatal nurses, and has presented at several conferences on hypoglycemia and the implementation of a glucose gel protocol, use of 17-P to

prevent delivery in moms with prior preterm deliveries, implementation of education for successful

PICC placement, and leadership. Furthermore, Ms. Zastrow has completed several poster presentations to further educate neonatal nurses on various topics. In addition to her clinical practice and serving the members

of NANN on the board,  she is  currently working on her PhD at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

with a focus on parental decision-making surrounding periviable births.