What NANT and Your GPS have in Common

Your GPS and NANT have one thing in common:

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They have to know something about where you ARE in order to get you where you want to go, right?

In 2012 NANT surveyed 226 neonatal therapists. The results of the entire survey were published in March of 2013 in an article written by Chrysty Sturdivant (referenced below).

Some of the results were positive, for example, 56.1% of those surveyed already work in a preventative/habilitative model in the NICU as compared to 34% in a pediatric/problem based model and the 9.7% who reported not having a model. We hope the first number increases significantly in the next 5 years, and we’re working hard to support you in that.

Most of the therapists surveyed have been practicing in the NICU for >10 years. That may explain why only 15.4% of them had been originally mentored for >6 months, 17.2% for 3-6 months, 29.6% for 1-3 months and 36.2% were self-educated with no direct mentorship. Wow.

Even though I’ve worked in the NICU for 17+ years, I was fortunate to have had 1:1 mentorship for 6 months all those years ago. However, my mentor then left to begin a private practice and I was left to figure the rest out on my own (and information was scarce!). Sound familiar?

Here’s the great thing – there are more resources than ever before to help you align yourself with the present and future.

Check out 4 at-your-fingertips resources below:

1) Immediate Access to Education:

Do you know that there are 3+ years’ worth of recorded webinars (from our member-only Special Topic Calls) in the NANT Member Area titled Call Archives? I would’ve given anything to have this huge library of education at my fingertips.

In just one hour a month you can keep pace with your colleagues and the neonatal world. One hour. This increases your access to education exponentially compared to what was available for us years ago.

Key to using this? Schedule it in your calendar, from now through December.

2) Private Connection with Colleagues:

Have you visited the Professional Support Network in the NANT Member Area?

This is a private forum within which you can post questions and discussions for your amazing colleagues. There are over 15 pages of inquiries here. I learn from this group every time I read and interact here. One of our current members realized at the NANT Conference that she had never accessed this forum! YOU make this benefit what it is. Thank you!

3) FREE download of teleseminar on Integrated Model:

Listen to my presentation (at no cost) titled: From Isolation to Integration: The Integrated Model of Neonatal Therapy by downloading the 2011 NANT Virtual Summit titled, “Foundations for the Future: How you Begin Matters”. Click here to watch this FREE audio or right click on the link to download it to your desktop.

4) Request information for formal mentoring:

At NANT we frequently receive questions about how to access structured mentoring, so we created a list of resources for you. The options may differ based on your discipline. If you’d like to receive that information please email us at: info@neonataltherapists.com and request information on ‘structured mentoring’.

In the next 5 years we’d certainly like to see an increase in the number of neonatal therapists working in a preventative, habilitative and integrated model. And in 5-10 years we’d certainly like to see an increase in the number of therapists who receive structured orientation and mentorship in the NICU. The babies we see deserve nothing less.

We have a fabulous start. And we’re building for the future.

Want to get involved?

We spoke about this during the last presentation of the NANT Conference. Keep an eye out for communication this summer about several ways to get involved in NANT as we intentionally and conscientiously lay the foundation for the future of neonatal therapy.

Pretty cool stuff. Stay tuned.

(We don’t have turn by turn directions, but we’ll get there!)