The Nurse Champion Model for Advancing Newborn Screening of Critical Congenital Heart Disease

Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) is the leading cause of death in infants younger than age one year in the United States. Early detection and timely intervention can significantly reduce newborn morbidity and mortality. In Texas, nurse champions provided leadership to develop an educational program to screen newborns for CCHD using pulse oximetry. Results demonstrated the value of nurse champions in creating an effective educational program. Nurses are positioned to educate and advocate for universal CCHD newborn screening.