Providing intensive care for infants in a nature-based environment

This case report explores the role of nature-based environments as an adjunct to neonatal intensive care, particularly within a treatment plan for palliative care. It examines how access to outdoor or fresh air spaces may improve parental experience, support memory-making and align with national guidance and family-integrated care principles. A pragmatic framework focusing on the right patient, right place and right time is presented, alongside risk-mitigation strategies. The importance of capturing feedback to evaluate impact and inform practice is highlighted.

Kate Tantam¹
Specialist Sister ICU kate.tantam@nhs.net

Diane Keeling¹
Neonatal Nurse Consultant

Dr Hayley Djemai²
Resident doctor in training

Dr Gemma Holder²
Neonatal Consultant

Dr Melanie Philipps¹
Neonatal Consultant

Cassandra Rogers¹
Palliative Care/Interim Clinical Sister

Alexandra Mancini³
National Lead Nurse for Palliative Care

¹University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
²Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
³Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Full text available by subscription ...

The full text of this article is available to subscribers in text, and as a PDF file.

Please subscribe and log in to see the full article.

Keywords

parental experience; family-integrated care; palliative care

Also published in Infant:

VOLUME 19 ISSUE 4/JULY 2023

Talking about lactation – the importance of shared decision making in antenatal anticipatory care planning

When discussing lactation management as part of an anticipatory care plan, healthcare professionals should impartially discuss the choices available to families without personal judgement or bias to support families to come to their own informed decisions. This article outlines how the Milk Bank at Chester has been working collaboratively with the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice and loss families to co-develop a leaflet to educate and support families on their lactation choices following an antenatal diagnosis of a life-limiting condition with a shortened life expectancy.