Hayley, a nurse for over 20 years, talked about the babies she works with and their parents at Portsmouth Hospital. The hospital is one of only two Level 3 NICU’s in the South of England able to work with complex issues. They are one of the top five units in the world and are top in the UK for survival rates of premature babies from 22 weeks.

Hayley talked about her role, the highs and lows and shared a case study with the permission of the parents of the child. She also talked about reflective practice and how this helps to improve the unit and also the mental health and well-being of the staff.

Hayley brought in some examples of equipment and clothes to show the students along with their “baby” they use for training purposes. It was such a wonderful experience for the students to meet Hayley and learn first-hand about her role.