Implementing family-integrated care in the NICU: a parent education and support program.

The purpose of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a parent education and support program that enhances family-integrated care in a Canadian neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A total of 39 mothers of infants born at 35 or fewer weeks' gestation were enrolled in the pilot program. We examined the development, implementation, and qualitative assessment of the education component of a family-integrated care program. We enrolled in groups of 4 or 5, the study mothers agreed to attend daily educational sessions, provide care for their infants for at least 8 hours daily, and participate in medical rounds. The educational sessions were provided by staff and veteran parents to assist parents' development of confidence in providing caregiving skills and assuming the role of a primary caregiver for their infants as they moved closer to discharge. Effectiveness of the program was evaluated through anecdotal feedback and a formal evaluation process at discharge. The results indicated that the mothers were provided with the tools to parent their infants in the NICU, recognize their own strengths, increase their problem-solving strategies, and emotionally prepare them to take their infant home. Feedback from the participants provided direction to adapt the program to provide optimal parent support and education. Parental education is a valued and vital component of family-integrated care in the NICU.

Implementing family-integrated care in the NICU: educating nurses.

The purpose of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a nursing education program to support family-integrated care in a Canadian neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A total of 44 nurses volunteered to take part in the family-integrated care program, 35 of whom received additional education in the form of a 4-hour workshop. Of the 35 nurses who attended, 21 were interviewed regarding the impact and content of the workshop. The study design included the development, implementation, and qualitative assessment of the nursing education component of a family-integrated care program. The multidisciplinary program team conducted a literature review and then designed and conducted a survey to assess the educational requirements of nurses regarding family-integrated care. A nursing workshop was then developed on the basis of the literature review, staff survey responses, and discussions with staff and parents who had experienced having an infant in the NICU. Six months into the program, the contribution of the nursing workshop content to nurses' participation in the family-integrated care program was evaluated using individual structured interviews. Nurses who were interviewed described the workshop as valuable and reported that the information provided on nursing versus parental responsibilities in infant care, the parent experience in the NICU, and developmental care strategies was the most useful. Interviewees also identified the need for ongoing staff mentoring to maximize their ability to facilitate family-integrated care. Specific education for nurses facilitates family-integrated care in the NICU.

Implementing family-integrated care in the NICU: engaging veteran parents in program design and delivery.

The purpose of this article is to describe and evaluate how "veteran" parents were engaged as experts in the design and implementation of a family-integrated care program in a Canadian neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Three parents of preterm infants previously discharged from the NICU participated in the design and implementation of a family-integrated care pilot program. The steering committee for the program included 5 staff members (a physician, a NICU nurse, a parent education nurse, a lactation consultant, and a social worker) and the parent volunteers. This article includes a total of 42 mothers of infants born at 35-week gestation or less were enrolled in the pilot program. A detailed description and qualitative evaluation of the engagement of veteran parents in the design and implementation of the family-integrated care program. The effectiveness of engaging veteran parents in developing this model of care was evaluated by written feedback from the veteran parents and the other steering committee members. In addition, a structured interview at discharge with the 42 mothers enrolled in the pilot study was used to assess their experiences of the peer-to-peer support provided by veteran parents. Veteran NICU parents brought a wealth of wisdom and expertise developed through personal experience to the design and implementation of the family-integrated care program. The veteran parents played a significant role in both the initial development of the program and in the provision of peer-to-peer support during program implementation. Engagement of parents with prior experience of the NICU care environment is a critical step in the design and implementation of a program of family-integrated care.