December 2015 • Volume 26, Number 10
Nursingmatters www.nursingmattersonline.com
INSIDE: What if …
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New WNC program
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Celebrations
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CONTRIBUTED
Volunteers give out newborn kits at the Ngarenaro Health Center — Karen Maternity Ward birthing center in Arusha, Tanzania. From left are Trisha Helland, Karen Klemp, Nancy Comello, Amy Martin and Jane Krogstad.
Reach out to the smallest MADISON WI PERMIT NO. 1723
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Tamar Meyers
CONTRIBUTED
Amy Martin, RN, gives supplies to a mom with her newborn baby.
For some mothers, receiving tiny hats and booties is a routine part of a new baby. For other new mothers, though, the clothing is a necessity for their infant’s survival. This is a lesson Karen Klemp, a neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse, has learned firsthand. Klemp and her husband, Rick, founded an organization to, among other initiatives, send teams to teach infant resuscitation in developing countries. While on a trip in Tanzania, Karen Klemp learned that hypothermia is a leading cause of death for newborns. Though the Tanzanian government mandates that birthing centers provide supplies to new mothers, the task is difficult for financestrapped clinics. This past year the organization began an initiative to help mothers welcome their new babies and possibly keep them alive. Volunteers created almost 1,000 bags of clothes, blankets and other
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