Introduction: Most newborns experience an elevated bilirubin level in the first few days of their lives. It is often a physiological elevation which, when the right measures are taken, does not have any lasting effects and clears up on its own. In the case of a pathological elevation, the newborn must be treated with phototherapy to prevent complications and any severe effects. Purpose: The purpose of this diploma thesis is to present the nursing care of a newborn during the treatment of jaundice with phototherapy, and the right measures for a nurse to take when encountering phototherapy-related nursing problems. Methods: The diploma thesis uses a descriptive method combined with a review of domestic and foreign literature. The literature was searched in the Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, CINAHL and DIKUL databases, and using the COBISS.SI and Google browsers. Reference lists were also reviewed. The thesis cites scholarly, review and original scientific articles, with the language of the literature limited to Slovenian, English and Croatian. Results: The reviewed literature highlights the importance of a nurse's role in the nursing care of a newborn with jaundice. By taking the right measures, a nurse can speed up the treatment of jaundice. Discussion and conclusion: A nurse is involved in newborn care from birth onwards. The nurse cares for the newborn and carries on all the activities of daily living, encourages breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact. The nurse assists with diagnosing jaundice by performing a visual check-up, using a transcutaneous bilirubinometer, and taking a blood sample for checking the serum bilirubin level. The nurse provides health education to the mother. If phototherapy is required, the nurse explains its meaning and course to the mother in an appropriate way. The nurse warns the mother of nursing problems that may occur and provides emotional support.
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