The Complete Neonatal Course: Navigating Prematurity, the NICU and Beyond

Mary E. Coughlin, MS, NNP, RNC-E, a global leader in neonatal nursing, has pioneered the concept of trauma informed, developmental care as a biologically relevant paradigm for babies, families, and professionals. Ms. Coughlin has over 35 years of nursing experience beginning with her 7 years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force Nurse Corp and culminating with her current role as president and founder of Caring Essentials Collaborative, an organization committed to transforming the experience of healthcare for babies and families around the globe through a trauma informed paradigm. Ms. Coughlin is a published author. Her work includes the seminal paper introducing the concept of core measures for developmentally supportive care, national and international peer-reviewed papers and most recently Trauma-Informed Care in the NICU: Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines for Transdisciplinary Neonatal Clinicians endorsed by NANN as well as the 2nd edition of Transformative Nursing in the NICU – Trauma Informed, Age-Appropriate Care. In her role as president of Caring Essentials Collaborative, Ms. Coughlin has educated, inspired, and empowered more than 20,000 interdisciplinary clinicians from over 20 countries to transform the experience of healthcare for infants, children, and families. Most recently, Ms. Coughlin and her interdisciplinary faculty have created an assessment-based certificate program endorsed by the NIDCAP Federation International, the National Association of Neonatal Nurses, the Council of International Neonatal Nurses, and the National Association of Perinatal Social Workers in accordance with standards established by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, to distinguish individuals as Trauma-Informed Professionals. Mary leads her incredible team at Caring Essentials Collaborative with a bold and ambitious vision to create a kinder, more connected, and compassionate world, one moment at a time.

Shannon Tinkler, MSN, CNS, RNC-NIC, is a neonatology educator for the Neonatal Special Services, at Sutter Health, California Pacific Medical Center. She has been a neonatal nurse for 18 years. Before joining the NSS, she was the Clinical Nurse Specialist and Neuro NICU educator at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, focusing on training the nursing staff in the care of the newborn brain. Shannon is passionate about delivering the highest quality of care to the tiny (and not so tiny) patients in the NICU, as well as educating nurses and practitioners on delivering evidence-based care.

Erin Ross, PhD, CCC-SLP, is the president and CEO of Feeding Fundamentals, LLC. She is also assistant clinical professor in the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado and is on faculty at the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Dr. Ross has authored several book chapters and publications related to feeding preterm infants, infants with medical comorbidities, and children with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD). Dr. Ross provides professional education and research consultation through Feeding Fundamentals. She created SOFFI®, a training program for caregivers in the NICU and in Early Intervention, that has been taught all over the world. She continues to provide clinical consultation to several NICUs within the HealthONE system in Denver, Colorado.

LaTrice L. Dowtin, PhD, LCPC, NCSP, RPT, (she/her/Dr.) is Executive Director of PlayfulLeigh Psyched, a playful center for social and emotional wellness. Dr. Dowtin is a black cisgender woman who believes in the ongoing pursuit of humility and social justice. As a clinician, she holds dual certifications in mental health fields including counseling and psychology. Dr. Dowtin is a licensed counselor, board approved supervisor, research psychologist and registered play therapist who specializes in perinatal, NICU, and trauma populations with a special focus on culturally, racially, and linguistically marginalized people. Regarding education and training, Children’s National, which is usually in the top 10 for US NICUs, trained her in conducting NICU consultations and neonatal follow-up assessments. She then completed a clinical psychology doctoral internship at Tulane University School of Medicine with a focus on families and infant mental health. Following internship, Dr. Dowtin completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stanford University in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) focusing on parental and infant mental health. Since 2019, she has been an active member of the National Perinatal Association in conjunction with the National Network of NICU Psychologists. Through NNNP, she served as a Co-Chair of the Training and Education Committee for a three-year term. Dr. Dowtin has the honor of serving as the Co-Chair of NNNP, along with Dr. Elizabeth Fischer. Clinically, Dr. Dowtin is trained as an identity affirming trauma interventionist with focus on NICU follow-up, infant and early childhood mental health, perinatal mental health across genders, and transgenerational trauma with hearing and deaf populations. She is natively fluent in AAVE and English, and proficient in American Sign Language (ASL). She is a published researcher, invited keynote presenter, and author with several book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles on topics related to NICU, parental mental health, and social justice for preschool aged children. Dr. Dowtin’s research interests include the NICU follow-up care, social justice for racially and linguistically marginalized young children and their families, and equitable social justice training for developing providers.

Michelle has been a respiratory therapist since June 2000. She started working in a Level III Neonatal ICU six months into her career. In 2005, Michelle obtained a Neonatal Pediatric Specialty certification and transferred to the Sacramento Regional Neonatal Respiratory Care Specialist. Michelle held this title for almost 17 years. In 2021 Michelle received her Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy from Boise State University. Michelle started teaching the neonatal/pediatric lecture and laboratory course at the American River Respiratory Care Program in 2017. Michelle has taught and created programs for various training centers and hospitals for the Neonatal Resuscitation Program and STABLE program for approximately 20 years. Michelle is currently working as the Respiratory Supervisor and Educator at Mercy General Hospital.

Jane F. Shannon, MSN, RNC-NIC, CNL, LNC, is a certified Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse with over 30 years of nursing experience in NICU, pediatrics and PICU and adult critical care. She continues to work in the NICU, and as an Adjunct Professor, practicing at AdventHealth in the Orlando, FL area. She is also a certified Clinical Nurse Leader and obtained a post-graduate certificate in Healthcare Simulation at the University of Central Florida, UCF. She is a Simulation Facilitator for the UCF College of Nursing STIM Center. Jane has also completed legal nurse consulting certificates, started a consulting business and assists attorneys with medical legal cases.

Karen Pryor, PhD, PT, DPT, CH, CFPS, has a doctorate in physical therapy and has practiced for 40 years in the field. Dr. Pryor is the owner of Health Sphere Wellness Center, an integrative therapy clinic in Nashville, Tennessee. Involved with early intervention in the birth-three population for over 30 years, she has developed neuroplasticity techniques that are used in a wide variety of settings, including homes, childcare centers, and school systems, to advanced pediatric therapy programs. Dr. Pryor serves on several boards, including the Leadership Interagency Council for Early Intervention (2014-2019), a position to which she was appointed by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. In 2010, she received the President's Volunteer Service Award for her contributions to the advanced treatment of children from President Barack Obama. In addition to her work with children, Dr. Pryor has served as an adjunct professor at the Tennessee State University Occupational Therapy Assistant program. She is a clinical instructor for several universities and colleges. With her years of experience and passion for complete wellness, Dr. Pryor advances a more expansive view of how to integrate therapy throughout the lifespan by using neuroplasticity techniques.

Mrs. Randolph is the founder of Glo Preemies and Co-Founder of the Alliance for Black NICU Families. She is also an accomplished author and speaker and was named Mrs. America Virtuous Woman of 2021. Mrs. Randolph, a three-time NICU parent, is passionate about advancing equity for NICU families of color. She was recently assigned to the role of Chair of the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative (CPQCC) Health Equity Taskforce “Within the NICU” Subcommittee, marking the first time that CPQCC has appointed a NICU parent to head one of its committees.

Julia Muzzy Williamson, PharmD, BCPPS, BCNSP, C-ELBW, is an assistant professor of practice at North Dakota State University and a pediatric clinical pharmacist currently practicing in the neonatal intensive care unit at Sanford Health in Fargo. At NDSU, she instructs students in the Doctor of Pharmacy program on topics including nutrition, pediatrics, and women’s health. She also mentors pharmacy students in research projects focused on breastfeeding and clinical practice in the NICU. Her practice in the NICU focuses on nutrition in the smallest patients including management of complex patients with short gut, parenteral nutrition dependence and complications, and micronutrient management. Dr. Muzzy is currently dual board certified as a Pediatric Pharmacotherapy Specialist and Nutrition Support Pharmacist.

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Angela Gooden DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC/AC, NEA-BC, is a pediatric nurse practitioner with dual certification and expertise in pediatric cardiology, is the Director of Advanced Practice Providers at Texas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Gooden has a special interest in reducing morbidity and mortality for infants born with complex congenital heart defects who require staged palliative surgical interventions. Additionally, in her leadership role, Ms. Gooden is focused on promoting the advanced practice role through advocacy, organizational engagement, professional development, and mentorship.

Dr. Humphries is a Board-Certified Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP). She has over 20 years of experience that includes registered nurse in the Burns and Trauma Unit and Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at UAB, SICU at Walker Baptist Medical Center, and Psychiatric Unit at Montclair Baptist. She found her calling in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and furthered her career as an advanced practice nurse practitioner. She currently works at DCH Northport Medical Center in the NICU. In addition, Dr. Humphries plans to expand her career to include education and leadership. Dr. Humphries graduated from Bevill State Community College with an Associate degree in Nursing (ADN) in 2001, received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN) from the University of North Alabama in 2011, her Master of Science in Nursing degree (MSN) in the NNP tract at the University of Alabama of Birmingham (UAB) in 2014 and her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (DNP) and Nursing Education Certification at UAB in 2019. She was recently awarded the Kim Noland Spirit Award from the Florida Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (FANNP). Additionally, she received two scholarships from FANNP while in graduate school. She published a literature review titled Perinatal Palliative Care in the FANNP newsletter in 2018 and a peer-reviewed article in the Alabama Nurse titled Early Placement of PICC Lines and Early Removal of UVC to Reduce CLABSIs in the NICU in 2019. She holds memberships with ASNA, FANNP, and AAP. In 2018, she served as President Elect of District 2 in the Alabama State Nurses Association (ASNA) and then President of the district in 2019-2021. Dr. Humphries currently serves as the Vice President at the state level for ASNA. Dr. Humphries is chair of the Research and Poster committee for FANNP and recently lectured on a Neonatal Pharmacology in the FANNP 2021 conference.

Susan Bowles, DNP, APRN-CNS, RNC-NIC, CBC, is prepared as a Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) at the doctoral level. Sue has served in the NICU working in the CNS sub-roles of teaching, research, clinical practice, consulting, and leadership. As a CNS, she performed an integral role within the NICU and the organization for the leadership of evidenced-based practice. As part of her practice, she executed the educational functions required to ensure that patients and their families received the best care possible from the nursing staff. Sue is often consulted as an expert in her specialty by colleagues both on the local, state, and national level. She has earned the Developmental Care Specialist Designation from the National Association of Neonatal Nurses and is certified as a High-Risk Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse. Sue has a passion for developmental family centered care, and she serves as the Nurse Consultant for the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative for the statewide NICU Initiative on Family Centered Care, called the Paired Project.

Stephanie Abbu, DNP, RN, CNML, is Manager for Neonatal Services at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. As a second career nurse, she has 18 years of healthcare experience as a registered nurse, assistant manager, business coordinator, and manager. Dr. Abbu is a national speaker on neonatal care, nursing research, nursing practice and professionalism, mentoring, leadership, and family and patient engagement. As a member of the TN Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative for the past decade, she is a nurse leader devoted to improving the outcomes of mothers and babies.

Dr. Kay A. Toomey is a pediatric psychologist who has worked with picky eaters and problem feeders for over 35 years. She has developed the SOS Approach to Feeding as a family-centered program for assessing and treating children with feeding problems. Dr. Toomey helped to form The Children’s Hospital – Denver’s Pediatric Oral Feeding Clinic, as well as the Rose Medical Center’s Pediatric Feeding Center.

Gwen Wild, MOT, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist with over 25 years of experience specializing in the treatment of children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorders, neurological disorders and a wide variety of developmental disorders in numerous settings. She is the owner of Sensational Brain, LLC, and creator of the popular BrainWorks™ tools, a system for creating effective sensory diets that empowers kids to take charge of their sensory needs. Gwen is steadfast in helping children learn to self-regulate to manage their behaviors and emotions effectively. She works directly with educators, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, BCBAs and other professionals in her roles as an educator, consultant to two school districts and provider of private pediatric occupational therapy services in homes. Gwen presents worldwide on topics related to sensory modulation and self-regulation teaching practitioners, parents, and teachers who work with children and adolescents practical treatments and interventions. She has been invited to speak at numerous state and local conferences and has been featured on podcasts. Gwen has led and co-authored two research studies on the implementation of sensory strategies for the purpose of enhancing self-regulation, the most recent of which was published in a peer-reviewed journal. She is an active member of the American Occupational Therapy Association and at the state level, she is a member of the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association.

Paula Cox, PT, DSc, PCS, is a board-certified pediatric PT with over 35 years of experience in pediatric rehabilitation. She is a member of the APTA, the APPT, and the IL PT Association. Dr. Cox served on the APPT’s NICU to EI transition work group. She is committee chair for the APPT course Advanced Clinical Practice in Pediatric Therapy, an ongoing APPT course that investigates current theories and EBP across pediatric settings. Dr Cox presents the EI segment for this course. She operates a private pediatric practice in the Chicago area and provided ongoing mentoring to PT’s in 2013 from the University of Oklahoma. Her doctoral research examined the use of a robotic scooter to provide early autonomous locomotion for infants with Down Syndrome.

Jennifer Gray MS, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist and owns and operates Grays Peak Speech Services, LLC, a private practice, in northern Colorado. Jennifer and her team of SLPs deliver speech, language, and feeding interventions to those with communication and eating difficulties. They practice in Early Intervention settings, home and community settings, and via teletherapy/telepractice/telehealth. Jennifer has worked with those with Down syndrome and their families for the past 13 years to encourage, reinforce, and develop better ways to access spoken language, speech clarity, and oral functioning. She specializes in expanding communication abilities of those with limited expressive language by meeting each child and family in natural settings to enhance functional outcomes and promote independence. While most of her work has been with young children, she is also passionate about helping teens and adults use and maintain clear speech, develop social relationships, improve cognitive and memory skills as well as promote better self-awareness and self-care habits.

Angela Mansolillo, MA/CCC-SLP, BCS-S, is a speech-language pathologist and board-certified specialist in swallowing disorders with more than 30 years of experience. She is a senior speech-language pathologist at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts where she provides evaluation and treatment services for adults and children with dysphagia and is involved in program planning and development including quality improvement initiatives, patient education, and clinical policies and protocols. She is also adjunct faculty at Elms College Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in Chicopee, Massachusetts and a guest lecturer in the Department of Communication Disorders at the University of Massachusetts. Over the course of her career, she has worked in a variety of clinical settings with children and adult populations with a career-long focus on feeding and swallowing disorders. Recently, she authored Let’s Eat!: A Clinical Guide to the Management of Complex Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders. Angela is a recent recipient of the Massachusetts Speech and Hearing Association’s Award for Clinical Excellence and is a sought-after speaker for both live and online continuing education courses as she seamlessly blends current research with clinical experience.

Mel Cook, MSN, RNC-NIC, C-ELBW, PHN, DNP-c, has been a registered nurse for over 9 years and most recently served in a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) while obtaining a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, certifications in Neonatal Intensive Care (RNC-NIC) and extremely low birth weight (C-ELBW) infants and becoming a Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) Instructor. She is skilled at stabilizing critically ill neonates through collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, while managing all physical, psychosocial, and medicinal aspects of the neonate’s care. Additionally, she has a keen eye for process improvement and is committed to supporting interdisciplinary health care teams, enhancing the quality of care for neonates and their families in the NICU. This is augmented through pursual of a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, where she is refining her ability to evaluate and disseminate solid research evidence to enhance clinical environments, therein promoting safe, cost-effective, and patient-centered care.

Dawn M. Kersula, MA, RN, IBCLC, LCCE, FACCE, is a lactation specialist and perinatal educator who founded/continues to staff the outpatient lactation clinic at a hospital in Vermont. She has worked with birthing and breastfeeding families for more than 30 years. Respected for her expertise in the field, Dawn is a requested presenter at international childbirth conferences and locally continues to coordinate her hospital's perinatal education programs/support groups. As president of the Vermont Lactation Consultants Association, she works closely with the Vermont State Breastfeeding Network to offer training opportunities throughout the state and has had the opportunity to impact change through several legislative initiatives that have resulted in pro-breastfeeding legislation in Vermont. Dawn's passion and commitment are evidenced through her certification as a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE), active involvement with ILCA (International Lactation Consultants Association), and appointment as a fellow with the American College of Childbirth Educators (FACCE). Her master's research focused on PTSD following traumatic childbirth experiences and, in her role as a perinatal psychologist, she continues to have a special interest in the developmental transition to motherhood. To her credit, Dawn has published over 30 articles pertaining to the specialty of breastfeeding.

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