An evaluation of family-centered care in a Level III NICU

Family-centered care is critical to successful experiences for infants and their families in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This article describes a retrospective evaluation survey of family-centered practices in an urban, Level III NICU. Evaluation questions focused on parent satisfaction with unit practices in 4 areas: (a) NICU environment, (b) caregiving practices, (c) communication opportunities, and (d) relationships with nursing staff. Quantitative and qualitative data indicated overall parent satisfaction along with suggestions for improvement of unit practices. Specifically, the need for redesign of the NICU environment (eg, increased space at infant's bedside), caregiving practices (eg, increased hands-on practice), communication opportunities (eg, convenient times for care conferences), and relationships with nursing staff (eg, development of parent-professional relationships) are highlighted as avenues for improving NICU practices. Recommendations for family-centered practices are provided.