← Chapter 10
Maternal-Newborn & Paediatric Nursing · Chapter 10

One Correct First Action

For every high-risk newborn there is one correct first action, and it is usually the one that overrides instinct — intubate rather than bag, cool rather than warm, console rather than medicate. Six benches: tell the three scalp swellings apart, choose the first action for five congenital anomalies, order a round by priority, run an Eat Sleep Console check, delegate within scope, and audit a discharge before the family leaves.

Choose the bench

Three swellings must be told apart, because one of them is a resuscitation. Assign each finding.

Three scalp swellingsOne of them is a resuscitation
Start on the left
Every bench on this page turns on the same idea: the intuitive comfort measure is usually the harmful one.