Flourish: Building Essential Foundations in Neonatal Therapy
A foundational course that brings confidence and clarity to neonatal clinical practice.
Flourish gives OTs, PTs, and SLPs a clear, 6-step approach to NICU assessment, intervention, and clinical decision making...so you can be prepared for the NICU, and start practicing with confidence.
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Trusted by 250+ therapists and recommended by 100% of clinicians trained.
START FLOURISH TODAY
Therapist's say...
"This is my favorite NICU course I've taken."
Want to be a competent, confident, and successful NICU therapist?
You're in the right place.
Have you ever...
- felt uncertainty about what a NICU therapist really does?
- struggled with understanding developmental progression for a premature baby?
- questioned what interventions are safe and evidence-based for infants in the NICU?
- felt like you're trying to piece NICU knowledge together, but it still isn't easy to integrate at the bedside?
- wondered if you should start learning about NICU therapy even if you don't have the job yet?
Most therapists try to gain confidence by piecing together lectures, notes, and webinars...hoping it will click at the bedside.
But in the NICU? This approach doesn't help you feel long-term confidence with diverse patient populations.
Because this isn't just a smaller patient. Without the right foundation rooted in NICU-specific evidence and theories, you risk...
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Missing critical developmental windows that occur before term age.
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Overstimulating fragile nervous systems without realizing.
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Contributing to autonomic instability or infant stress.
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Missing opportunities for preventative and promotive interventions
To practice safely, a clinical understanding of the NICU should begin before you even get the job.
Inside Flourish, therapists are trained differently.
Instead of wasting time and money taking multiple courses that leave you to figure out how it all fits together...Flourish guides you through a proven 6-step learning hierarchy that builds confident NICU therapy skills from the ground up.
ENROLL IN COURSE
This is what happens when therapists and graduate students learn this way...
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"You took everything I've learned over 10 years and made it finally make sense."
It's organized, clear, and something I can actually use in practice.
- Laura, Level 4 NICU PT
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"I wish I had this before my formal NICU training. This course changed everything. Amazing course!!"
I now understand the foundational theories and how to actually apply them at the bedside.
Veronica, Level 3 NICU PT
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"I finally feel confident at the bedside and don't second-guess my decisions."
This course gave me clarity in an area I've felt unsure about.
Rachel, Level 3 NICU OT
Get Started Today!
Flourish: Building Essential Foundations in Neonatal Therapy
This is more than a continuing education course. This is how you become the clinician families trust at the bedside.
Inside Flourish: Building Essential Foundations in Neonatal Therapy, you gain more than knowledge. You learn how to think, adapt, and lead in complex NICU scenarios.
So instead of second-guessing your handling, your assessments, or your clinical decisions…
Flourish helps you become a NICU therapist who:
- Walks to the bedside with clarity and a plan
- Adapts in real-time based on the infant's responses
- Supports regulation, instead of unintentionally disrupting it
- Communicates with confidence to nurses, providers, and families
- Delivers care that preventative, not just rehabilitative
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Confidently assess NICU infants using a dynamic, safe approach
- Facilitate effective, more organized therapy sessions
- Recognize subtle stress cues most clinicians miss
- Provide hands-on interventions that remediate negative sequelae
- Use theory to prevent infant instability, stress, and overwhelm
- Feel grounded instead of overwhelmed in high-acuity situations
What's inside Flourish?
A proven, step-by-step approach that brings clarity to your days in the NICU.
The NICU is an advanced area of practice, requiring a unique skill-set.
That's why Flourish is built on a 6-step hierarchy that helps you nourish a strong clinical foundation you can build from.
Flourish Course Outline (13 contact hours)
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Unit 1: Building Theoretical Foundations in Neonatal Therapy
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 1 Workbook
- Module 1: An Introduction to Neonatal Therapy
- Module 2: The Unique Lens of a Neonatal Therapist
- Module 3: Theoretical Foundations in Neonatal Therapy
- Module 4: Foundational Frameworks in the NICU
- Module 5: Fitting the Pieces Together
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 1 Practice Exercises
- PDF DOWNLOAD - NICU Theory Cheat Sheet
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 1 Reference List
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Unit 2: Prenatal and Infant Development
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 2 Workbook
- Module 1: Prenatal Development
- Module 2: Full-Term Infant Development
- Module 3: Development after Premature Birth
- Module 4: Full-Term vs. Premature Development
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 2 Practice Exercises
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Preemie Development Cheat Sheet
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 2 Reference List
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Unit 3: The NICU Environment
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 3 Workbook
- Module 1: What Makes Up the NICU Environment?
- Module 2: The Sensory Systems
- Module 3: Neonatal Pain & Stress
- Module 4: Early Sensory Experiences & Brain Development
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 3 Practice Exercises
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 3 Reference List
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Unit 4: Therapeutic Evaluation in the NICU
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 4 Workbook
- Module 1: Overview of Neonatal Evaluation
- Module 2: Standardized Evaluation Tools
- Module 3: The Non-Standardized NICU Evaluation
- Module 4: Do No Harm: Understanding Safe Evaluation
- Module 5: A NICU Evaluation Walk-Through
- PDF DOWNLOAD - NICU Infant Cues Cheat Sheet
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Stop/Pause/Go Cheat Sheet
- PDF DOWNLOAD - NICU Evaluation Template
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 4 Reference List
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Unit 5: Therapeutic Intervention in the NICU
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 5 Workbook
- Module 1: Overview of Neonatal Intervention
- Module 2: Categories of Neonatal Therapy Interventions
- Module 3: What do we actually "do"?
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Immersion Bathing Cheat Sheet
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 5 Reference List
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Unit 6: NICU Case Studies
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 6 Workbook
- Module 1: Brachial Plexus Injury
- Module 2: Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
- Module 3: Gastroschisis
- Module 4: Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS)
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Brachial Plexus Cheat Sheet
- PDF DOWNLOAD - HIE Cheat Sheet
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Gastroschisis Cheat Sheet
- PDF DOWNLOAD - NOWS Cheat Sheet
- PDF DOWNLOAD - Unit 6 Reference List
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FLOURISH COURSE QUIZ (REQUIRED)
- Flourish Final Quiz
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COMPLETE COURSE EVALUATION (REQUIRED)
- Final Course Evaluation (REQUIRED)
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Guidance Call Recordings
- Guidance Call Recording - Unit 1 Discussion
- Guidance Call Recording - Unit 2 Discussion
- Guidance Call - Unit 3 Discussion
- Guidance Call - Unit 4 Discussion
- Guidance Call- Unit 5 Discussion
- Guidance Call- Unit 6 Discussion
Where Clinicians See the Biggest Shift in Their Practice
90% of clinicians state the NICU interventions unit was the most valuable part of the course, because it showed them exactly what interventions are evidence-based, safe, as well as how to perform them.
Real Results in Real NICU Practice
Wondering whether this course will translate to NICU practice?
Here's what clinicians at every stage of their careers experienced after going through this training:
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"I finally feel prepared for the NICU setting."
"I absolutely LOVED this course. As an OT student about to graduate and pursue a career in the NICU, I was struggling because so many jobs require prior NICU experience. This course gave me the knowledge and foundation I needed to feel prepared and confident stepping into this setting.
Maddie, OTD Student
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"Finally- NICU training that actually applies in practice."
"This was the most relevant and applicable course I've taken for NICU practice. I learned a great deal and feel significantly more confident in how I approach patient care.
Ellie, Level 4 NICU OT
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"This gave me a clear identity as a NICU clinician."
"Flourish gave me a clear framework to begin my journey as a neonatal therapist. I'm now able to apply what I've learned in practice, and more importantly, it helped me define the kind of clinician I want to be.
Kailee, Level NICU OT
ENROLL IN THE NICU CLASS YOU NEVER HAD.
You can keep piecing together webinars, or you can build a confident clinical foundation, today!
The difference isn't always more experience, it's an approach that fills the gaps.
Are you a graduate student?
Use code STUDENT20 for 20% off either course package at checkout.
Meet Your Course Instructor
Dr. Katie Ross, OTD, OTR/L, NTMTC, CNT
Katie is an experienced certified neonatal therapist with a Doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis. She holds additional certifications in neonatal touch and massage, as well as lactation.
With clinical, bedside experience in a 100+ bed, level 4 NICU, Katie is an expert on the specialized developmental and medical needs of NICU infants and their families.
She has presented on the state and national levels, as well as published research related to the roles of neonatal therapists in the NICU. She is a clinical mentor, NICU parent coach, and mom of 4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this count for continuing education?
When do I get access to the course?
I'm located outside of the U.S. Should I still sign up?
How long do I have access to the course?
I'm a student. When should I take Flourish?
Can NICU nurses take Flourish?
NICU babies deserve the best.
And you deserve to feel confident providing it.
You don’t need to keep guessing.
You don’t need to keep wondering if you’re doing enough.
Flourish gives you the clarity, confidence, and clinical reasoning to show up differently — every single day.