Educating parents and sharing information at Somerset NICU

Educating parents with evidence-based information on providing care for their baby and support as a family helps to ensure optimal, safe neonatal care and improves neonatal outcomes. However, this level of education can be hard to attain within the NICU environment, often leaving parents feeling unprepared for discharge. An overwhelming amount of information and conflicting nursing advice can make it easy for parents to overlook the vital aspects of care.

To help combat this, Phoebe Ray and Cerys Newman, nursing staff at Somerset neonatal care unit, have been working on a resource for improving parent education on the unit via an app that is generated from a QR Code available on the unit. The app can help guide staff and direct parents to appropriate and reliable sources of information, covering topics such as:

• building a happy baby
• skin-to-skin care
• getting involved
• nasal/oral gastric tubes
• various medical conditions
• routine screening and immunisations
• breastfeeding and expressing on the NICU
• neonatal transfers.

Parents using the app are offered relevant web links and, in this way, they can guide their own learning. Nursing staff can give advice from the information in the app and this will improve consistency in communication.

It is important to bear in mind that digital technology should never replace verbal interaction with parents but, when combined with face-to-face conversation, it can support the healthcare professional’s ability to inform, explain and increase efficiency of care.

To view the resource visit: https://linktr.ee/snicu