Abstract
Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) care for critically ill newborn babies. Family Centered Care (FCC) is a relatively new standard of NICU care that allows for caregivers to be as much of a part of the NICU experience as health care providers. This thesis utilized a review of literature to identify research that shows that FCC is an effective way to improve outcomes for neonates and their caregivers. Many sources did provide evidence for this. Some evidence shows that FCC can lead to shorter length of stay, increased rates of breastfeeding, and increased weight gain for the neonates, while parents/caregivers see increased bonding and parent-infant attachment and decreased stress and anxiety. An additional review of literature identified specific evidence-based interventions that work with FCC. However, there is no standardized way for NICU staff (namely nurses) to implement all of these aspects of FCC that are shown to be conducive to improved outcomes. For this thesis, a standard checklist, composed of evidence-based FCC interventions (including communication, parent education, empowerment, basic infant care, breastfeeding, private rooms, bonding, and technology), was created to streamline the process of FCC in the NICU. The utilization of this checklist will help nurses and parents to ensure their neonate is benefitting from their care.
Semester/Year of Award
Spring 2022
Mentor
David L. Coffey
Mentor Department Affiliation
Nursing
Access Options
Open Access Thesis
Document Type
Bachelor Thesis
Degree Name
Honors Scholars
Degree Level
Bachelor's
Department
Nursing
Recommended Citation
Williams, Tori C., "Family Centered Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Standard Checklist for Nurses and Parents" (2022). Honors Theses. 887.
https://encompass.eku.edu/honors_theses/887
