NICU-related software, online libraries, etc.- How do you improve staff/parent comm.?

[NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN]

Hi, guys! Do any of you work for units or hospitals that utilize nicu-specific or nicu-altered software programs or online libraries that are DIRECTLY RELEVANT to the nicu? I don't mean generalized 'aftercare' handouts or things that are for term, healthy babies and kids.

Also, how do you personalize the nicu experience for your families? Do you ever email pictures taken on a digital camera? do they get a website that is updated by staff, or parents? Do you make crib cards, etc.? Anything would be nice. We're looking for improvements and this is really a free-flow brainstorming kind of post.

Thanks!

The babies are calling. ;>)

[Sweeper933]

We have digital cameras on the unit that we will take pictures of the babies with (we have parents sign a consent form first). We can print out the pictures and / or e-mail them to the parents as well. Parents always enjoy coming in for the day to find some new cute pictures printed out from during the night! We also make cute little picture cards for all the (major and minor) holidays to put up at the bedsides as well.

We also create cute name signs for each baby to hang on their isolette / cribs. One of our secretaries or the nurse will make them.

As far as a personalized website goes, that has been "in the works" for our unit for some time now. I do know that some parents will do their own website they they update for their families and friends to look at.

Hope this helps!

[bamamaam]

i like to personalize the little one's crib card with a faint imprint of their footprints,it looks lovely.well-baby here though,this may not apply to nicu,but,i hope it's an idea

[preemiex2]

We have a library solely for family use located in the NICU family lounge that has a collection of preemie related books as well as all of the past editions of PREEMIE magazine availible for their study. Every Tuesday night there is a parent/family night on-unit in one of our conference rooms where our family support group provides pizza and pop for the unit families and they can get together with our parent support personelle and talk with each other about the events of the week. This is very helpful to a lot of our families and helps them not feel so isolated on the unit when they are going through one of the hardest times of their lives. We also have handmade bed cards for each baby and every infant gets a handmade quilt from a local charity to use as they like. All three of our units (acute, chronic/BPD, and short gut/NEC) have digital cameras and printers to use. We have volunteers that pre-make cards up for us sometimes so we can put pictures in them too.

Our hospital practices family centered care and so the parents are included in everything and are allowed on unit 24 hours a day. It is only a rare few that stay the night unless it is a required training stay for trach/g-tube/monitor training prior to discharge or for an unstable baby who has just had surgery, but there are pull out chairs and/or couches in each room for the parents as well as built-in drawers and shelves for the infant's clothes (if they are able to wear them) and parent's belongings. Most of our rooms are private with the exception of a couple quads and three doubles so the parents will decorate the rooms for holidays to make it feel more like home. Mainly this includes stickers on the windows and personalized photos on the desks. We also have wireless internet availible in the NICU now too. That just started just over a month ago and the parent enjoy being able to update Carepages or e-mail family. It makes our babies who are inpatient for an extremely extended period of time, somewhat livable. All of these things help our parents get through their time with us a little easier.

[tap42e]

We have crib cards, but I not sure you use them in the same way. I think what you are talking about are what we refer to a name cards. These cards are pre-printed cards with appropriate baby pictures (dinosaurs,kittens, etc.) which include infant's name, birth date, weight, length, and parents names and siblings names. They are printed on cardstock and can be colored by siblings, parents or nurses. We also have a discharge planning notebook, which has information for parents,record of infants weight, tests the infant has undergone, diary for parents, pages for certain milestones, and places for CPR training, hearing screens, first time held, first tub bath, and much more. We put this in a three ring binder making it easy to add and subtract as needed. It is excellent for parents. It gives them something to do while baby sleeps. We have a digital camera and a portable printer which takes excellent pictures, (we used to use polaroids). Hope these suggestions are helpful.