Nursing

Introducing the London Neonatal Learning Pathway

Introduction

The London Operational Delivery Network (ODN) has launched the London Neonatal Learning Pathway, an initiative designed to strengthen education, skills, and professional development across the neonatal workforce. The pathway is mapped to the National Standards for Neonatal Qualified in Specialty (QiS) Education (2024) and is accredited by a London Higher Education Institution (HEI) at Level 6 and Level 7.

Purpose and Vision

The pathway provides a structured, standardised approach to training that supports staff at every stage of their career. It aligns with the needs of the neonatal service and ensures that healthcare professionals have access to consistent, high-quality learning opportunities

Target Groups

The pathway is tailored for a wide range of professionals working within neonatal care, including:

  • New starters and early career staff, ensuring strong foundations in neonatal practice.
  • National and international experienced non-QiS nurses and Allied Health Professionals (AHP), supporting continuous skill development.
  • Experience QiS nurses, educators, and leads, providing progression routes and recognition of advanced skills. providing development of enhanced knowledge and skill training.
Benefits for Professionals and Services

By embedding the pathway across London, the ODN aims to:

  • Improve consistency of training across neonatal units.
  • Provide equity and inclusion, meeting individuals unique needs.
  • Enhance confidence and competence among staff.
  • Support career progression and retention.
  • Ultimately improve the quality and safety of neonatal care delivered to infants and families.
Looking Ahead

The London Neonatal Learning Pathway represents an important step towards building a resilient, skilled, and future-ready workforce. It reflects the ODN’s commitment to supporting professionals while ensuring the highest standards of care for babies and their families.

The courses included in the pathway are due to start in January 2026.

How it works

Foundation in Neonatal Care (FiNC)

The FiNC course offers flexible, ongoing enrolment from January 2026.

This hybrid programme follows a blended learning approach, combining:

  • Self-directed study
  • Interactive online sessions (via Microsoft Teams)
  • In-person study days (venues located across the London region)

It is designed for Newly Qualified Nurses, New to Specialty Nurses, International Nurses, Transitional Care staff (Midwives and Maternity Support Workers), Nursery Nurses, and Nursing Associates, with the aim of developing confident, accountable, autonomous, and innovative healthcare professionals.

Teaching is delivered by experienced lecturers and subject experts, who provide guidance and support throughout the course.

Nursing participants working in a Neonatal unit may also choose to undertake an optional Work-Based Learning (WBL) module with a London university to gain academic accreditation (payment required). Enrolment for this must be arranged with your Practice Educator and confirmed directly with the university. A link to the relevant university will be available on the Medtribe resource page once registration is complete.

The WBL module is:

  • Optional for those completing the specialty within the ODN pathway
  • Mandatory for those progressing through a University pathway

Training schedule:

Learners are required to complete a series of 3 units and 3 assessments in order to complete the module and obtain a certificate of completion. Additionally, learners must complete a full Unit (Sections A–D) across all 3 Steps, following the order of: Step 1 → Step 2 → Step 3. The completion of EACH unit is awarded a certificate of achievement.

QiS

Accelerated Neonatal QiS (ANQiS)

The ANQiS programme provides specialist neonatal training for experienced national and international non-QiS nurses, or for those who have completed a Foundation course or an SCBU/HDU course and are ready to progress into specialty training.

Accredited by a Higher Education Institution (HEI), the programme runs once or twice a year (depending on regional demand) and uses a blended learning approach, combining:

  • Self-directed learning
  • Live online classes
  • Face-to-face classroom sessions

Teaching is led by specialist nurses, AHPs, ANNPs, and medical professionals, offering a high-quality, evidence-based, and multidisciplinary educational experience.

Additional Requirements
  • Learners must undertake a Work-Based Learning (WBL) module at Level 6 or 7 to gain accreditation. Please note this is at a cost set by the HEI provider.
  • Candidates must secure agreement from their Lead Nurse, Matron/Deputy Matron, or Practice Educator before enrolling.

Enhanced Neonatal Nursing (ENN)

This module is designed and developed to elevate the expertise of experienced senior neonatal nurses (QiS), enabling them to confidently and safely perform extended neonatal clinical skills within the context of holistic care and comprehensive assessment of the neonate. It is built around the four pillars of nursing: Education, Research, Clinical, and Leadership/Management.

Intended Audience

  • The module targets experienced senior neonatal nurses (QiS) who intend to broaden their practice and undertake enhanced clinical responsibilities.
  • It offers a structured pathway for QiS nurses to develop additional clinical knowledge and skills, acting as a stepping stone toward broader roles within the neonatal workforce.

Distinction from Advanced Practice

  • This is not an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) or an Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (ANNP) programme, but is explicitly focused on enhancing clinical capacity and role, without the autonomy or scope associated with advanced clinical practice.
  • Enhanced neonatal nurse modules typically include skills such as initial resuscitation, expanded clinical decision making and support for higher dependency care.

Programme Information

  • The first pilot cohort ran in 2023, and a possible next cohort is planned for 2026.
  • The curriculum is responsive to local workforce needs and designed to contribute to safe, high-quality neonatal care.

This enhanced module provides a valuable opportunity for senior neonatal nurses to grow professionally and contribute even more effectively to neonatal teams, bridging the development gap between core neonatal roles and fully advanced practitioner pathways.

View all of our courses and training here

Pan London Neonatal Nursing Workforce Working Group

Across London’s regional neonatal intensive care units (NICU), local neonatal units (LNU) and special care units (SCU), support for qualified in specialty (QIS) training is keenly embraced to allow a program of “grow your own” neonatal nurses.

Ensuring that nurses undertaking the QIS training are able to access a clinical placement that supports their practice to theory development in an intensive care setting within a tertiary level NICU, is often challenging. The QIS framework for clinical placement has been developed by the workforce working group to bridge the gap.

Pan London Neonatal Educators group

The Pan London Neonatal Educators Group brings together practice development nurses and practice educators from across the capital to share good practice.  Through a sound knowledge of neonatal service delivery the group  plans for and identifies opportunities for  education and innovation with a view to improving the quality of patient care and outcome.

The group acts as a forum to facilitate effective communication and collaboration between the London Neonatal ODN providers to achieve the following;

  • The development of plans to improve the development of the neonatal workforce
  • To deliver network education programmes and study days
  • To support trusts to improve recruitment and retention
  • To provide mentorship and leadership
  • To promote consistency of guidance and nursing competencies
  • To work with Higher Education Institutes to ensure the development and delivery of programmes which meet the needs of modern neonatal care

For further information on this group, or if you would like to join please contact the group chairs;

Adedoyin (Dee) Yissau – Adedoyin.Yissau@gstt.nhs.uk

This innovative document has been produced by the Pan London Educators Group for Band 5 neonatal nurses, to use as a work place tool and framework to facilitate the embracement of learning and education for all, driving forward consistent delivery of high quality care and patient safety.

Existing accredited published and evolving national work and project define the career pathways, developing competency levels and structure within formal education provision that are then translated to clinical services for Band 5 nurses (The Matching Knowledge and Skills for Qualified in Specialty (QIS) Neonatal Nurses: A core syllabus for clinical competency BAPM (2012) and the Competence, Education and Careers in Neonatal Nursing: RCN guidance (2012). This document is copyrighted but sharing and embracement of a culture of learning is very important for the working group and the neonatal nurses of London welcome requests for using this tool from the ODNs in the U.K. The kind permission for reproduction of existing published work as above has contributed to this approach of sharing resources adds a very positive dimension to the work and future tools for competence in neonatal nursing roles.

We would like to acknowledge all the hard work and contributions from the Practice Nurse Educators, Senior Nurses and Modern Matrons in the development of the document and the London providers for their support of this work. Thanks to Sue Turrill for her comments and support of the work with permission for copyright use from BAPM.

Pan-London Neonatal ODN Band 5 competencies.

This competency document has been developed by the Pan London Practice Development Nurses as a guide for Band 6 nurses to progress into the operational management role within the Neonatal Unit. This work place tool and framework aims to help develop nurses to acquire the relevant knowledge and skills to safely and effectively manage/lead their teams in a clinical setting. Upon completion of this document, it is hoped that individuals will be competent and ready to take up the responsibilities of managing the Unit safely as well as being a good role model. It is also applicable for Band 5 nurses who are preparing to take a more responsible role following a period of consolidation after their QIS course. This document is completed with the support of a Band 7 Sister/ Charge Nurse or the local Practice Development Nurse who will supervise the individual’s practice and sign off the competencies that the individual has achieved.

The Pan London Neonatal Practice Development Nurses acknowledge the importance of working together to building teams of neonatal nurses that are “fit for the future”. It is one of the aims of Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer (2019), to develop the quality of management and leadership at every level to enable front line staff to lead change.

Pan London Clinical Leadership Competency Document

Discussions around the virtual and in-person simulation training days delivered by the ODN, the impact of COVID-19 on delivering the initial session and the challenges faced to design and facilitate an interactive online session.

Adedoyin Yissau alongside Mae Nugent, PDN – UCLH, and Tim Watts, Neonatologist – Evelina Children London describe the what, how and why nurse specific Neonatal Simulation train the trainer days are essential to support nursing career pathway.