Examination of the newborn: The franchise experience – integrating theory and practice

National educational programmes to assist midwives in the transition to extending their role are now rapidly expanding throughout the country with appropriate training and support. In the context of enhanced practice, midwives are ideally placed to conduct routine examinations of the full term healthy infant. In the same way, neonatal nurses have a role in the discharge of the healthy low birthweight infant from the neonatal unit environment. The franchise of the Examination of the Newborn module, provided by the University of Central Lancashire to The North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, is designed to enable midwives and neonatal nurses to develop advanced clinical skills.