Anne Derouin and DNP alumnae LaMonica Hunter and Stephanie Blake recently published an article entitled "Implementing a Parent Education Program in the Special Care Nursery" in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care. Co-authors include Catherine Simmons and Julie Thompson.

Abstract

Background: Parents of preterm hospitalized infants, whose lengths of stay can range from a few days to several months, often experience emotional liability. Because the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or Special Care Nursery (SCN) is a stressful and intimidating environment, prompt attention should be given to reducing parental stress and increasing parental confidence in preparation to care for their child post-discharge.

Methods: A quality improvement pilot project was designed to evaluate the parent education and support program, titled HUG Your Baby, in a Level II SCN for its ability to decrease stress and increase confidence for postpartum mothers of preterm infants born at less than 35 weeks gestation during the infant's hospitalization.

Results: The outcomes demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in maternal stress and a statistically significant increase in maternal confidence.

Discussion: The HUG Your Baby program is an effective parent education and support program that would benefit NICU and SCN families.