Abstract

Purpose of the presentation: The purpose of the presentation is to explain the introduction of family integrated care in a neonatal intensive care unit to facilitate bonding and attachment between the baby and his/her parents.

Introduction and background: Parents and premature or sick infants are commonly separated when the babies are admitted in a neonatal intensive care unit. This might influence bonding and attachment negatively, which might have detrimental long term effects for the babies and their parents. Family integrated care is introduced in the neonatal intensive care unit to guide the parents through a structured plan to be involved in caretaking and decision making activities and to empower them as primary caregivers in the NICU.

Purpose of the project: The purpose of the project was to implement family integrated care in the NICU.

Methodology: The project was introduced on the principles of family integrated care as described by Bracht et al (2013), including involving parents in a structured manner from simplest and least invasive caretaking activities to complex activities, being part of the doctor's round and decision making, and partake in record keeping.

Findings: Staff had to make a mind shift in their manner of caring for sick and premature babies to become mentors and educators for the parents. Enhanced bonding and attachment were observed with improved breastfeeding and reduced stress levels of parents.

Recommendations: The Kouzes-Posner Model of Leadership can be very helpful during the process of implementation of a project to overcome resistance to change. Implementation of family integrated care should become the golden standard in neonatal care.

Description

This poster is the summation of a project undertaken as part of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, Maternal-Child Health Nurse Leadership Academy (2016-2017 cohort).

Author Details

Anke Greyling-Halvorsen, B Cur; Anna Morogwana Shokane, M Cur, Carin Maree, PhD, RN

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Other

Research Approach

Other

Keywords:

Maternal-Child Health, Nurse Leadership, Africa, Family Centered Care

Conference Name

Chi Xi at-Large Chapter First Biennial Conference Swaziland

Conference Host

Chi Xi at-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Exulwini Valley, Lobamba, Swaziland

Conference Year

2017

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Faculty/Mentor Approved: Sigma Academy Participant Poster

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

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Quality improvement initiative to implement family-integrated care in a neonatal intensive care unit

Exulwini Valley, Lobamba, Swaziland

Purpose of the presentation: The purpose of the presentation is to explain the introduction of family integrated care in a neonatal intensive care unit to facilitate bonding and attachment between the baby and his/her parents.

Introduction and background: Parents and premature or sick infants are commonly separated when the babies are admitted in a neonatal intensive care unit. This might influence bonding and attachment negatively, which might have detrimental long term effects for the babies and their parents. Family integrated care is introduced in the neonatal intensive care unit to guide the parents through a structured plan to be involved in caretaking and decision making activities and to empower them as primary caregivers in the NICU.

Purpose of the project: The purpose of the project was to implement family integrated care in the NICU.

Methodology: The project was introduced on the principles of family integrated care as described by Bracht et al (2013), including involving parents in a structured manner from simplest and least invasive caretaking activities to complex activities, being part of the doctor's round and decision making, and partake in record keeping.

Findings: Staff had to make a mind shift in their manner of caring for sick and premature babies to become mentors and educators for the parents. Enhanced bonding and attachment were observed with improved breastfeeding and reduced stress levels of parents.

Recommendations: The Kouzes-Posner Model of Leadership can be very helpful during the process of implementation of a project to overcome resistance to change. Implementation of family integrated care should become the golden standard in neonatal care.