COVID-19 Update

As provinces begin to ease their precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Neonatal Life Support Teams have faced questions about offering courses and further extending the grace period for expirations of NRP Providers.The CPS continues to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate options for delivering resuscitation education while taking the proper precautions. Our top priority is the safety of both NRP Instructors and providers. 

Every province is at a different point in the management of their COVID-19 infections.  NRP members, institutions and training centers are responsible for following the instructions from their local government, public health authority and regulating body as it relates to actions around COVID-19. In accordance with the guidelines released by local government, the leadership of the institutions and training centers should use discretion to evaluate the risk of disease transmission in their area before organizing any training events and take necessary precautions to avoid transmissions. If NRP courses can be offered, participants will be awarded NRP cards as usual.

Our volunteers and staff are working hard to support you in whatever way we can. Our committees have produced guidance documents, several members have written commentaries, and we have gathered a selection of relevant resources from trusted sources. You can find everything here:

https://cps.ca/en/tools-outils/covid-19-information-and-resources-for-paediatricians

We currently have a documents regarding neonatal clinical guidance:

1. Care considerations for infants born to mothers with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection

Provider Status: Providers should plan to renew their cards by the recommended renewal date on their card. However, for those who may be in affected areas with restrictions still in place, the CPS recommends that employers and regulatory bodies consider extending recognition of an NRP card beyond its recommended renewal date. However, please know that it is ultimately up to the discretion of employers and regulatory bodies who require current NRP cards to consider allowing extensions during this time.

Instructor Status: Instructors that will not meet their course requirement for their instructor renewal due to course cancellations, please contact nrp@cps.ca. Otherwise, instructor renewal can be completed by following the steps outlined in the renewal email.

In light of course cancellations, please see suggestions institutions have been implementing to continue to support NRP education and practice until courses are available:

• Set up a mannequin with NRP equipment and encourage frequent ‘just in time’ practice (individually or in teams of two) for PPV, MR SOPA, and coordinating chest compressions with PPV
•  If you have new staff who haven’t yet taken the NRP Provider course, encourage them to review the Provider manual and discuss risk factors so they can anticipate the need for NRP. This, along with brief skills practice will help to prepare them to assist resuscitation teams.
• New hires can conduct their own assessments to determine competency as a temporary measure (they can even use the ISSA) and then once things start to normalize have the hire complete the NRP course as typically done.
• Participants can complete the online exam and the exam they have completed will be honored once they take the in person course.

American Academy of Pediatrics Resources:

• The AAP has made available NRP Skills videos. Under “Quick Links” the link for the videos themselves reads: New Skills Videos.
• Interim guidance documents and recent NRP Live Recordings are available here: www.aap.org/nrp.

While these do not entirely solve the problem, we hope they provide some adjunct to the teaching that would normally occur, when in person courses are not able to occur at all. 

We recognize that this is an exceptional environment for our members. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the hard working individuals who are on the frontlines dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak. Your professionalism and commitment to providing the care and support your patients need during this time is greatly appreciated.

Please contact nrp@cps.ca with any questions or concerns.