Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) require life sustaining intervention for weeks to months after birth. This intervention is remarkably stressful for both the infant, who is ill-equipped to handle life outside the womb, and for the parents who are filled with fear and stress due to the illness of their son or daughter. The experience of hospitalization can lead to stress, shame, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder for families of NICU infants. Knowledge about the unique stressors, challenges, and needs for support of preterm infants has proven helpful to boost confidence and feelings of wellbeing within the NICU family population. This capstone paper discusses a program designed in the NICU to improve the education, knowledge, confidence, and self-efficacy of parents in the NICU. Details of program design, implementation, results, and implications for the future will be presented.
| Date of Award | Jan 1 2019 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Elise Bloch (Supervisor) |
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