Being a NICU parent is hard. So is being a NICU nurse. We know. Our patient education department works with these dedicated nurses every day to provide them with tools to help educate NICU parents and reduce their stress. The compassion that these nurses have for NICU parents and their babies is incredible.
So, when we saw this blog post from Jenni Stearman, a NICU nurse at Texas Children’s hospital, we wanted to share it with the parents and the nurses we serve.
In the words of Jenni Stearman:
“I recently read a blog post from a NICU mom that gave insight into the NICU, and expressed appreciation to NICU nurses for all that we do. It was so touching. Everyone wants to feel appreciated. We all want to feel like the effort that we have put in has not gone unnoticed. After reading that post I am moved to write about my appreciation for the NICU parent. I could never hope to write as eloquently as that mother did, but I do hope to make a few people feel appreciated in their efforts.
Whoever coined the term “NICU Mom,” I don’t know, but I do know that nobody aspires to be one. There is not one expectant mother out there who sees the two pink lines on the pregnancy test and says, “Yay, I can’t wait to spend three months in the NICU watching my ever-longed-for precious gift from God experience pain and suffering that most people can’t even begin to imagine.” No father says, “I can’t wait to be forced to choose between being with my critically ill newborn or his recovering mother,” or “I can’t wait to describe my child to his mother because she can’t be with him, while trying to make her feel like it’s going to be OK, when I’m not sure it’s going to be.” Nobody wants that, but when put in that situation, you step up.” To read the full article, go here.
About MetaMD’s NICU KnowledgeTM program: Our parent education program helps families become more comfortable and knowledgeable about the NICU, encourages them to participate in their infant’s care in the NICU and helps prepare them to care for their baby at home. It provides information to ease their concerns and train them for their role through a comprehensive set of interactive video and audio lessons.
When issues occur during pregnancy or birth results in the delivery of a premature newborn or a newborn in distress, our NICU Knowledge program is there to help. The newborn requires the best medical practices and technology for care and survival. The parents and families are suddenly, and often unexpectedly, put in a situation where they have little understanding of what is happening, what their role is or what the future holds for them or their child. Their lack of knowledge and understanding of the NICU contributes to additional anxiety and concern and can be a barrier to their active participation in the care of their infant. There is a need for methods to teach families about the NICU and ease their concerns and to prepare them to care for their baby at home. NICU KnowledgeTM does just that.
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