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Inaugural nursing textbook providing guidance on caring for babies with life-limiting conditions launched by Kingston University expert

A professor of nursing at Kingston University and St George's, University of London has co-edited the first book offering guidance to nurses on caring for babies with life-limiting conditions.

The textbook, Neonatal Palliative Care for Nurses, was launched at Child Bereavement UK's tenth Neonatal Palliative and End of Life Care Conference in Leeds earlier this month by Professor of Children's Nursing at Kingston and St George's Jayne Price. She was joined by co-editors Pan London Lead Nurse for Neonatal Palliative Care Alexandra Mancini (Lead editor) and Tara Kerr-Elliott, a Well Child Nurse at the Louis Dundas Centre for Paediatric Palliative Care based at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Publication of the guidance comes at the start of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, something designated by the World Health Organisation to coincide with what would have been Florence Nightingale's 200^th birthday.

The book provides advice based on evidence based palliative care for babies, alongside support for their families, and is presented in two parts.

The first part covers self-care for nurses, a background to neonatal palliative care, its legal and ethical concepts, organ donation, models of care and supporting the family after death, while the second part presents a global snapshot of neonatal palliative care in 14 different countries.

The book was written by international neonatal palliative care experts and shares experiences of parents throughout the book through case studies and quotes. An expert panel of neonatal nurses highlight key points for practice at the end of each chapter.

Professor Price said this publication has come at a time when palliative care for babies and their families is rightly receiving much attention currently and is high on the agenda. "It's an honour to be part of the development of this exciting textbook providing such advice to nurses and midwives, as well as students, on neonatal palliative care. The guidance aims to help our amazing nurses provide the best care including choices for babies and their families at such a difficult time," she said.

• Find out about studying nursing and midwifery at Kingston University and St George's, University of London.
• Find out how to purchase the Neonatal Palliative Care for Nurses textbook.
• The Book will be available in the libraries at Kingston University and St George's, University of London.