NICU Currents: Current Use of Donor Human Milk in the NICU: Evidence-Based Practice

Program Date: January 2018

Publication Date: December 2017

Continuing Education Units: 1.0 Nurse Contact Hours, 1.0 Dietitian CPEU

Course Description:

This course identifies the benefits of using donor human milk; describes "milk sharing," and several notes of caution for parents; and discusses the differences and similarities between a mother's own milk and donated human milk.

Course Objectives:

After reading this article, the reader will be able to:

Identify 3 benefits of the use of donor human milk.
Describe "milk sharing" and 2 cautions that should be discussed with parents.
Discuss 2 differences and 2 similarities between mother's own milk and donated human.

CDR Level: 2
Suggested Learning Codes: 4010, 5010, 5060
Performance Indicators: 8.1.1, 8.1.2

Course Instructor Bio(s)

Sandra L. Gardner, RN, MS

Sandra L. Gardner, RN, MS is a retired Clinical Nurse Specialist and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who is the Director of Professional Outreach Consultation, a national and international consulting firm established in 1980. Ms. Gardner plans, develops, teaches and coordinates workshops on perinatal/neonatal/pediatric topics. Ms. Gardner has worked in perinatal care for 50 years as a clinician (37 years at the bedside in numerous NICUs), practitioner, teacher, author and consultant. Sandy is the Senior Editor of Merenstein and Gardner’s Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care, ed 8, 2016, that won an American Journal of Nursing: Book of the Year Award in 2016 (first place in the critical care/emergency nursing category). She also is the Co-editor of Legal Aspects of Maternal-Child Nursing Practice, 1997 and Care of the Well Newborn, 2016. Sandy is also the Editor of Nurse Currents, NICU Currents and Pediatric Currents.