Volunteer Cuddling

[scrabblern]

Hi,

I work in a 30 bed family centered unit. I am pretty new to NICU but have worked in critical care previously. "My" NICU does not have volunteer cuddlers. We usually have only one or two techs in the unit and they are usually pretty busy. We have had a number of babies whose parents were not able to visit often. When nights are slow RNs will hold pts that are ok for holding but most nights can be pretty busy.

I took it upon myself to start developing a cuddling program. I am doing research, I've presented data to committees and hopefully will soon visit another NICU and maybe get some tips from their program.

So, my question to you is...

Does your unit have volunteer cuddlers? If so, what do they do? Are they allowed to hand swaddle patients in incubators?... or just hold OC babies? Can they hold intubated pts, unstable pts, or only stable pts?

How big is your unit and how many volunteers do you have? What kind of training have you provided for volunteers?

Thanks!

C

[Galore]

We have cuddlers in our level II nursery and sometimes they are a godsend when you have 4 babies and some of them are screaming! I know they go through an extenive screening process and usually they just hold or comfort the more stable feeder/grower kids. Usually the nurse will wrap the baby up and hand them to the cuddler who will sit and rock the baby, it's up to the nurse's discretion but I have rarely seen them hold a baby from an isolette. I don't think they really do care either. Most of them are girls from the university (we're a teaching hospital) but we have some middle aged volunteers including a guy too. They are usually there on days and early evenings, unfortunately not many choose to come in on nights.

[prmenrs, RN]

The level 3 unit @ which I used to work had a well-established cuddler program; there is always a long waiting list. The program is administered thru the Volunter Dep't. The prospective cuddler applies there, follows all their rules and regs, including yearly safety, HIPAA, disaster, whatever inservices, yearly TB screening. They also have to get an annual Flu shot.

There were 2 or 3 nurses in the NICU who scheduled the cuddlers, arranged orientation, which included heavy emphasis on infection control and handwashing. We had 2 or 3 gentlemen, occasionally college students, altho they usually liked to help the techs run errands and replace stock/linens.

It worked out very well. We did have one volunteer who wanted to read the charts, and started to quiz us about specifics--she lasted ~ 2 hours. But that's about the only time we had to "fire" someone. They were awesome when we had chronics or long staying babies--any baby who was irritable and difficult to calm. A terrific alternative to trying to take care of your other babies while your little crybaby was raising the roof as well as the tension level in the unit.

There needs to be official sanction in terms of Policies and Procedures, and some members of the nursing staff need to coordinate the group. If you have a Volunteer Dept, start there. Decide what you want them to do: ours fed babies, changed diapers (and saved them to be weighed!) and held them. We had lots of rockers and gliders. They could hold babies w/IVs, nasal cannulae, NG feeding tubes @ the discretion of the baby's nurse and their own comfort level.

Good Luck!!

[live4rachael]

I was a volunteer cuddler in our NICU for a while (it reinforced that I wanted to go into nursing). It was amazing. I mainly went to the Special Care Nursery as the nurses felt more comfortable with me there (obviously) but sometimes was also in the Level III area. I fed those who were able to do nipple feedings, and mainly held/cuddled/talked to/sang to them, changed some diapers. Some of the babies were hooked up to several machines, others didn't have anything connected to them (I just started nursing school last week so I'm not familiar yet with the types!)

I got to where I was working with one patient in the Level III every week for a while, he was on all kinds of treatments and all kinds of wires (so the nurses would hand him to me while I sat in a rocking chair, and I wasn't supposed to move him around much) but he didn't get family visitors and they wanted him to get some attention. It was great reading to him.

Our hospital had an extensive volunteer application process that was even more detailed if you wanted NICU. NICU volunteers had to be at least 21 years old (other areas didn't have the age req't). Everyone had to have a drug screen, plus a background check.

[FlutterbyNurse]

Our NICU has 112 beds-level III and level II combined. We use volunteers as much as possible. I'm in the level II area, but I know they are utilized in level III as well. In level II they can change diapers, bottle feed babies and hold-rock, sing, read to-babies. They are life savers! We have quite a large number of regular volunteers now. They have to apply, go through extensive training, do at least 50 hours outside of the NICU as a volunteer and take a course specific to volunteering in the NICU. Our hospital's website has more information if you'd like to contact the volunteer organizer to see what all we require-http://www.orlandohealth.com/OrlandoRegional/GetInvolved/Volunteer/WinniePalmerHospitalVolunteerServises/WinniePalmerHospitalVolunteerServises.aspx?Pid=1548&Wid=1

[freesia29, ASN, RN]

Our hospital is just starting this program! I am already a float volunteer...and I can't WAIT to start this!! I am working on my pre-reqs for nursing...and I want to work in OB/Nursery.....so this is the perfect introduction!

[rachelgeorgina]

I work in a hospital for severely disabled children and we have "ward grannies" that sing to the kids, read them stories, hold their hands (if they're to big/to sick to nurse), take them for walks/push their wheelchairs and generally just be there. It's beautiful.

[jorjaRN]

Does anyone know of a centalized source that lists hospitals that have this program? I'm an RN working in adult med/surg, but hoping to get into the NICU once I have some more experience, and I would :redbeathe to do this, but haven't been able to find out what hospitals offer this program. Is there any way short of going to individual hospital's websites to find out? Thanks!

[dawnebeth]

Our ICN is a 36 bed unit in an all children's hospital. We have volunteers to hold the babies almost every day and on both day and PM shift. They are required by the hospital to work for 100 hours elsewhere in the hospital before they can be trained to hold babies. The volunteers mostly hold the loud crying babies, but yes, they can hold stable vented babies as well, trach babies, whatever is most needed. We have all levels of infants from very sick preemies to large yelling withdrawal babies all mixed together. We LOVE our volunteers.

[dawnebeth]

You can volunteer to cuddle babies???

That's awesome, I need to look into that here. Wait, would it be weird for a man to be interested in that?

We have several men who hold the babies in our unit--one is like the grandpa for the whole unit. He's always buying rocking chairs, mobiles for the babies and cookies for us. Another man drives more than 100 miles each way for his every other week chance to hold the babies. There's one guy who is a retired psychologist--very interesting to talk to when he's around rocking an infant.

[scrabblern, RN]

I just wanted to let everyone know that as of April of 2009 our NICU has implemented a cuddling program. It has been quite a trip from an idea to actually getting it all together... (mounds of paperwork). We now have four active volunteers and will be bringing more to the unit soon! :redbeathe

[LoveANurse09]

congrats for making it come true! I wish I could join you, I would love to be a cuddler.

[freesia29, ASN, RN]

That is wonderful news! Congratulations!