Who holds the baby in the neonatal unit?

This article explores the role of non-nurses within the neonatal unit (NNU). Nursery nurses and health-care support workers (HCSW) or auxiliaries may be employed in the NNU and the term 'non-nurse' is used to describe them all. To satisfy professional curiosity a small survey of NNUs in England was undertaken to identify the role of non-nurses in caring for babies in the NNU. The results demonstrate that not all NNUs have delineated separate roles for nurses and non-nurses. The ENB and the UKCC have responsibilities in the shaping of the nursing profession and the creation of specialist and advanced nursing practitioners and HCSWs are fashioning the process. This article will address some of these issues within the NNU and the wider sphere of nursing and midwifery.