ST. CLOUD HOSPITAL Submitted By: March of Dimes, MN State Chapter March of Dimes NICU Family Support January 30 th, 2011 1
March of Dimes NICU Family Support was created 10 years ago to: Provide information and comfort to families during the NICU hospitalization of their newborn, during the transition home, and in the event of a newborn death Contribute to NICU staff professional development Promote the philosophy of family-centered care throughout NICUs Multiple services are available in hospitals through NICU Family Support, including the: Chapter-managed, March of Dimes-staffed NICU Family Support Program, NICU Family Support License Program, NICU Family Support Center (Kiosk) and ShareYourStory.org. NICU Family Support is in more than 100 hospitals across the country and is offered in every state, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The NICU Family Support project was launched at St. Cloud Hospital in 2006 and continues to promote family centered care principles and provide support for NICU families. The following is a comprehensive overview of our program in 2010. NICU Family Support Activities 2010: Total Number of NICU Admissions: 350 % of NICU families (with more than a 24 hr NICU stay) receiving parent care kits 99 % Parent Activities/Parent Education Hours offered: 231 sessions Family members who attended Parent Hours: 1723 Number of NFS Volunteers participating: 15 active volunteers (Photographer, seamstress, harpists, Parent to Parent volunteers, CNAC members) 2
Parent Hours Offered for Family Education, Support & Comfort Education Hours including: o Julie Bunkowski, RN: Infant CPR and Risk Reduction o Barb Stanley, RN: Understanding Baby's Cues and Supporting Development o Kristin Gjerset, RN: Kangaroo Care o Rena Sespene-Hinz, Social Worker & Emily Steinmetz: Resources for Premature Babies o Nicole Schmidt, Hospital Chaplain: Riding the NICU Roller Coaster Crafts & Activities including: o Holiday Celebrations such as: Valentine s Day- valentine craft Thanksgiving- Thanksgiving meal Christmas- sibling cookie decorating session/ornament craft Father s Day- luncheon Grandparents Day- chocolate milkshakes National Children s Day- event for siblings National Hat Day- baby hat craft National Waffle Day- waffle breakfast o Scrapbooking, Photography Sessions, Keepsake Block Activity, Harp Playing NICU Family Support Modules Modules are comprehensive programs focused on a specific topic area. They include: parent education, parent comfort and staff education. Modules are selected by the CNAC (Chapter NICU Advisory Committee). Our modules include: Transition to Home Transition to Home consists of a Parent Hour that covers CPR and discharge information. Activities include infant CPR classes and scrapbooking sessions that are open to NICU graduate parents to provide support after discharge. Materials that are used for this model are American Heart Association Anytime Infant CPR kits, March of Dimes Going Home Booklets, Contact Us Cards, Risk Reduction Slides, and Scholastic books. Photography The Photography module consists of monthly scrapbooking sessions lead by a specialist and Creative Memories consultant, mini scrapbooking parent hours, a keepsake block decorating activity, bi-monthly family photo shoots in the NICU, storyboards of NICU graduates, and a yearly calendar of NICU photos. Materials that are used include disposable cameras, digital camera, photo printer, scrapbooking supplies, CDs for photos and March of Dimes photo albums. Close to Me Close to Me is a monthly Parent Hour that talks about kangaroo care. Kristin Gjerset, a Master s-level nurse, speaks about kangaroo care. Materials used in this module include Plushland kangaroos, stickers on kangaroo care, small mirrors for parents, two anti-gravity chairs, one full length mirror on wheels, and one privacy screen. 3
NICU Family Support 2010 Highlights Developed and implemented new Close to Me (Kangaroo Care) module Trained 5 volunteers to provide parent-to-parent support 2011 Goals for NICU Family Support Implement 2 new Parent Hours: o For NICU Dads Only o Seminar on how to set up a CaringBridge website Implement Sibling Sundays event 2x/month during photo sessions Provide staff training on kangaroo care Provide CDs of therapeutic harp music to every NICU graduate 4
March of Dimes Chapter NICU Action Committee (CNAC) The CNAC is an advisory board of NICU staff, hospital administrators, and former NICU parents who provide guidance on the selection and implementation of NICU Family Support programs and activities. We greatly appreciate and thank the following members of our committee who provide their invaluable expertise, time and input: Alexander Ames Tammy Bartlett Julie Bunkowski Sheila Burski Rachel Calvert Abbey Combs Mindy Drinnin Jeannie Friebe Kristi Gale Kristin Gjerset Nancy Grabowski Jennie Hamre Carolyn Harlander- Zimny Beth Hauser Rachel Heinz Brianna Inkster Jennifer Kipka Catie Matros Diane Pelant Jason Ross Nicole Ross Nicole Schmidt Rena Sespene-Hinz Nicole Stark Marianne Steichen Emily Steinmetz Alicia Thiele Nicole Wohlleber Special thanks to St. Cloud Hospital for partnering with March of Dimes to bring support to NICU families! 5