Information Booklet for Parents

[VEVINA]

Hi...my colleagues and I are looking for resources on providing information for parents, especially new admissions. Are there any units giving out information leaflets/ booklets to parents? What are the informations provided on the leaflet? We will be grateful if we can hear from you all soon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time waits for no one.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

We hand out folders and videos to our new families. The video is at least 10 years old, but it was filmed on our unit and is just an intro to having your baby in the NICU - just explains what all happens in a nutshell.

The folder has a bunch of information in it. We have a few memos that are specific to our unit in there. One is about breastfeeding - benefits of it, how to do it in the NICU, BF preemies, pumping, storing frozen milk, etc. Another is about pain - how it is one of our prioriities and information about the different ways we monitor and control pain. Then there is an information sheet - lots of good stuff there. Visiting hours, phone numbers, unit stats, etc. There is also an explaination of ALL the people who work in the NICU - what everybody does from the secretary to the housekeeping staff, nursing to respiratory, nutrition to pharmacy, case manager to nurse manager, etc. It also explains the different providers - nurse practitioners, medical students, residents, fellows, and attending neos.

There are a couple of other things in there - a booklet about having a baby in the NICU that we didn't produce but instead get from an outside source. When I go back to work this week, I'll try and find out where we get these.

But overall, tailoring the information to your unit often works best. Good luck!