A Tool for Guiding Clinical Decisions

About the Authors

Joan Renaud Smith is a neonatal nurse practitioner with over 20 years of experience in a 68-bed Level III NICU. Ms. Smith facilitated the process of implementing an evidence-based neonatal enteral feeding guideline for the very low birth weight infant in the NICU at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Her research interest includes infant nutrition, breastfeeding, and developmental and family-centered care. Ms. Smith is also an adjunct nursing instructor in the neonatal nurse practitioner program at Jewish Hospital College of Nursing and Allied Health in St. Louis, Missouri. Ms. Smith received her undergraduate degree from Maryville University in St. Louis and her graduate degree from the University of Missouri in Kansas City.

Ann Donze has 30 years of experience in the NICU, with the last 11 years as a neonatal nurse practitioner. She has coordinated the neonatal nurse practitioner program at Barnes-Jewish College of Nursing and Allied Health. Ms. Donze is also the cochairperson of the NICU Joint Practice Committee, which reviews all research done in the neonatal intensive care unit. Ms. Donze received her nursing diploma from Barnes School of Nursing, her bachelor degree in health facility management at Maryville University, and her graduate nursing degree from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

Bonnie Magliaro is a neonatal clinical nurse specialist at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. She was the recipient of the Ella V. Stonsby award for academic excellence from Rutgers University, New Jersey in 1981 where she received her BS in nursing. Bonnie graduated Columbia University in 1983 with an MS in nursing as a high risk perinatal CNS. She authored several NAACOG Update Series CE articles as well as several articles for refereed journals. Bonnie was the author and recipient of two large grants from the State of New Jersey aimed at nursing retention. She has lectured locally, regionally, and nationally and was recognized by the Central New Jersey Maternal Child Health Consortium for her outstanding commitment to improving the health of pregnant women, infants, and children in the region. Bonnie is currently the chairperson of the Nurse-Physician committee.