welcome to
the nicu training program you never had
13.3 contact hours
this 7-week mentorship program built by blooming littles is available 3 times per year for current or aspiring neonatal therapists (PTs, OTs, SLPs, and students).
If you want to know how to work and function in a way that truly makes an impact, this program
was designed to be rooted in evidence-based practice and also coupled with the realities of NICU
life. (In other words, this isn’t the kind of theory that’s nice to know, but way-too-complicated to
apply.) Flourish participants will gain foundational knowledge and skills needed to take more
confident steps in the NICU.
We believe all babies are born to bloom, and that as therapists, we get to play a specialized role in
supporting that process.
Interested in joining us for the next round starting October 2023?
/ PAST STUDENTS SAY /
/ past students say /
this course was everything I didn't know I needed!
what to do + why we do it
“I have already recommended this course to co-workers and other therapists.
As a PT who already works in the NICU I found this course incredibly helpful.
Katie is beyond knowledgeable and presents the material in a way that is
easy to understand whether you are a beginner or advanced clinician.
Breaking down the theories was incredibly helpful for me to understand WHY
we do what we do and just how much impact we have on these babies. She
does a great job providing the research to support everything along the way. I
appreciated all the videos and examples, especially in the intervention
section. Thank you Katie for all the time and effort you put into this course, it is
so valuable and I am so glad I found you on Blooming Littles IG!”
"Katie is beyond knowledgeable and presents the material in a way that is
easy to understand whether you are a beginner or advanced clinician.
Breaking down the theories was incredibly helpful for me to understand WHY
we do what we do and just how much impact we have on these babies."
why flourish?
I believe, as Neonatal Therapists, we have a lot of influence in supporting the “favorable
environment” for the babies we treat.
BUT — there’s also the fact that even therapists who specialize in neonatal care rarely get
neonatal-specific training. So, how do we create that specifically favorable environment when we
haven’t been taught those specifics?
Well, that’s what I set out to change with the Flourish program for therapists.
Our goal as neonatal therapists is to help babies bloom, and in order to do that, we need to create
an environment where they’re capable of flourishing.
And it’s our goal at Blooming Littles to equip as many therapists as possible with the tools to
go deeper in their day-to-day work.
Not just knowing how development works, but knowing how NICU and premature infant development works.
Not just knowing how to evaluate infants, but knowing how to evaluate medically fragile babies requiring NICU care.
Not just knowing how to treat, but knowing why you do what you do in the NICU.
to grow or develop in a healthy way, especially as a result of a favorable environment.
the word "flourish" means:
that means...
/ PAST STUDENTS SAY /
/ past students say /
take it to work, next day!
“This was such a wonderful course, and I’m so glad I was able to take it!
Having worked some in the NICU, it is so important to gain increased
understanding of what’s needed for the littles. This course provided so much
information relevant to clinicians! From some other courses on NICU before,
they’re mostly theoretical info you can't take to work with you the next day. I wish there was a Part 2!"
self-trained therapists need this.
“As a NICU therapist for a few years, this is what we need. I have been a
‘self-trained therapist’ since I was the only one in my unit. Now I’m training a
PT and SLP. We are finally growing! THANK YOU!”
If you’re a therapist (PTs, OTs, SLPs) or student aspiring to be a NICU therapist, you can join Flourish!
We’ve had a mixture of professionals and students take the course whether they specialize in
NICU care, work in the NICU every once in a while, or are simply interested in NICU care in the
future and want a foundational course.
Flourish is also a great extension of your education if you want to get more confident in your
decision-making, prepare for a NICU job interview, and feel more well-rounded in your knowledge.
This was created for the neonatal clinician or aspiring NICU clinician who needs accessible,
encouraging, and supportive input in a very specialized (and important!) area of practice.
Who should join?
unit 1: building foundations in neonatal therapy
Module 1: Introduction to Neonatal Therapy (13 min)
Module 2: The Unique Lens of a Neonatal Therapist (8 min)
Module 3: Theoretical Foundations in Neonatal Therapy (20 min)
Module 4: Foundational Frameworks in the NICU (15 min)
Module 5: Fitting the Pieces Together (16 min)
Unit 2: Prenatal & infant Development
Module 1: Prenatal Development (14 min)
Module 2: Full-Term Infant Development (20 min)
Module 3: Development after Premature Birth (60 min)
Module 4: Full-Term vs. Premature Development (19 min)
Unit 3: The nicu environment
Module 1: What Makes Up the NICU Environment? (24 min)
Module 2: The Sensory Systems (20 min)
Module 3: Neonatal Pain & Stress (12 min)
Module 4: Early Sensory Experiences & Brain Development (16 min)
unit 4: therapeutic evaluation in the nicu
Module 1: Overview of Neonatal Evaluation (45 min)
Module 2: Standardized Evaluation Tools (22 min)
Module 3: The Non-Standardized NICU Evaluation (51 min)
Module 4: Do No Harm: Understanding Safe Evaluation (21 min)
Module 5: A NICU Evaluation Walk-Through (49 min)
Unit 5: therapeutic intervention in the nicu
Module 1: Overview of Neonatal Intervention (29 min)
Module 2: Categories of Neonatal Therapy Interventions (47 min)
Module 3: What do we actually “do?” (2 hours 24 min)
Unit 6: nicu case studies
Module 1: Brachial Plexus Injury (49 min)
Module 2: Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (30 min)
Module 3: Gastroschisis (25 min)
Module 4: Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) (28 min)
including: 6 LIVE guidance calls with a certified neonatal therapist
Every week, we’ll meet LIVE together to dig in, answer questions, share cases so we can build your
confidence in putting it all together for decision-making in the NICU.
plus, you'll get bonus resources to support learning & application
This is a favorite part of the program for most of our participants!
- NICU Pre-Education Packet
- Weekly Workbooks
- Video Demos of Neonatal Intervention
- 10 Bonus Handouts + Cheatsheets
- Reference Lists for Popular NICU Topics
With 24/7 access to your online, Blooming Littles portal, you can watch each of the 6 units that are dropped weekly at your own comfortable pace.
After completing the required units, show what you’ve learned by passing a quiz related to mastery of the course content.
As the final step to earning your certificate of completion, you’ll deliver feedback on the course and learning experience to help us improve.
By completing the requirements below, you can receive 13.3 contact hours to apply toward your yearly continuing education requirements.
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How to Get Your CE
interested in getting contact hours covered?
watch each of the six online learning units
complete quiz with a score of 80% or above
fill out our feedback evaluation form
i'm katie, creator of blooming littles!
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that being truly passionate about educating and
supporting parents navigating life in the NICU means knowing I can’t make the impact I want all
on my own. If the goal is to truly change the world of NICU care, why not go to the source of NICU
therapists caring for these babies, and interfacing with parents, on a day-to-day basis? As a mom
to 2 (almost 3!), wife, experienced professional, and business owner, I wanted to do something to meet the needs of beginner to intermediate neonatal clinicians, and that’s why I began to teach other therapists using a more welcoming (but specialized) methodology.
(In case you need to read my officially official bio off to a supervisor, I’ll make it easy for ya!).
meet your instructor
Katie Ross, OTD, OTR/L, NTMTC, CNT is a certified neonatal occupational therapist with a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Washington University School of Medicine.
She is an experienced neonatal therapist in a large, 100-bed, level IV neonatal intensive care unit,
and holds additional certifications in neonatal touch and massage, as well as lactation. Katie has
presented at the state, national, and international levels, and has published research related to
developmental therapies in the NICU.
You’re a current NICU therapist (PT, OT, SLP).
You’re a therapist who has interest in working in the NICU.
You’re an aspiring neonatal therapist.
flourish is the perfect fit for you if...
You want NICU-specific training you can take to work the next day.
You need contact hours, but you want to choose them intentionally.
You want confidence knowing you’re treating babies in a way that supports their development.
If you can check any of these items off the list, then you know Flourish is a great investment of your time and energy!
does this count for ce?
when does the next cohort start?
when will the live calls happen?
answers to your questions
before you even had to ask!
I'm located outside the united states. can i still sign up?
I'm a student. when should I think about taking the class?
How long can i acess the course content?
Is this something I can do on my own time?
Can neonatal nurses take flourish?
how much does it cost?
The best way to get the answer to this question is to join our waitlist! We announce the exact cohort dates and enrollment periods to our waitlisters, FIRST. We run this program live three times per year, but the dates will vary slightly! To help you feel prepared for the terminology and team roles we discuss, you’ll receive access to pre-education a couple of week prior to your formal cohort start date.
Oh, absolutely! We have had course participants from Dubai, Malta, Israel, South Africa, Australia, Denmark, the UK, and Canada. All guidance calls are recorded, so no need to worry about the time difference. I also schedule 2 guidance calls during the course with international participants so you can ask your questions live.
We’ve had students take Flourish their first semester of OT school, all the way through to students who take it while they’re on their Level 2 Fieldworks. I recommend you take it after completing your first year learning foundations of OT. If you’re doing a Level 2 or capstone/fellowship experience in the NICU, I highly recommend taking it prior to that.
Unfortunately, no! Flourish was designed to support therapists only (there are a lot of us!), and has been built capitalizing on my real-world experience as a therapist within the NICU. Although there’s some overlap in what nurses and therapists know, the teaching I deliver is geared toward a therapist’s scope of practice. If you’re interested in getting a well-rounded look at how to support developmentally supportive care in your practice, check out our Born to Bloom Program.
Our cohorts open three times a year, so the best way to get your spot is to sign up for the waitlist. Then you’ll be the first to know when we open for enrollment so you can get the training you need to become the NICU therapist who can make a big difference.
