Transforming NICU Care to Provide Comprehensive Family Support

Abstract

Parents whose babies are admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are subject to a variety of stresses that increase their risk to suffer from postpartum depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety disorders. Parental distress can adversely impact parent-infant bonding, which in turn can lead to worse outcomes for the child. An interdisciplinary workgroup convened by the National Perinatal Association (NPA) has published recommendations for psychosocial support of NICU parents. This article presents nurses, who are key players in quality improvement (QI) initiatives in their hospitals, with a QI approach to transforming care in NICUs to provide comprehensive family support using the NPA recommendations as a road map.