Continuity of Care in the NICU
Continuity of Care in the NICU has been shown to contribute to improved parent satisfaction, improved outcomes and improved staff satisfaction. This presentation will discuss the concept of continuity and consistency of care and communication from various perspectives with a focus on the parent’s experience on the receiving end. We will also discuss how a Primary Nurse model of care can be a process that supports the family while transferring and integrating these concepts across disciplines creating an environment where all NICU team members are unified in the care of the infant and family in how we communicate and live out the plan of care.
Objectives:
1. Describe three parent perceptions of “Continuity of Care” in the NICU.
2. Discuss one process that creates synergy among the interdisciplinary team promoting continued, coordinated and comprehensive care to the infant and family.
3. Identify the three phases of the Parent/Nurse Relationship during the NICU Hospitalization.
Total CE: 1.1
NCC Code NNP 5
NCC Code NIC 4
NCC Code LRN 5
Rx = 0
*This presentation was included in the Small Baby Care Specialist® Program
Last updated: October, 2021
Your Instructor
Liz Drake has been practicing in the NICU for 34 years. She received her Master’s Degree, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist certification from UCLA. Quality Improvement, Neuro-protective Care and Family Partnered Care are her passions and expertise. She has a strong desire to teach the healthcare team about the uniqueness and language of the premature infant as every touch and experience can have impact. Through team building, education, academic thinking and direct patient care Liz has a tireless focus on excellence. Her vision for the future is to create passion and desire in others to practice with intention, purpose and to practically integrate evidence into the care provided to infants and families. Liz is a driver for quality improvement initiatives and actively involved with the VON, NICQ Collaborative.