Reinforcing the essential role of families through first impressions of the physical environment.

The physical environment in all of its aspects of space, structure, millwork, furniture, materials, flow, signage, and art has great potential to set a positive tone and invitation for families to be partners in the care of their infants. This article describes design strategies that create a series of positive welcoming first impressions throughout a NICU to support family caregiving and participation as parents of their infant and essential members of the care team.

Development and dissemination of potentially better practices for the provision of family-centered care in neonatology: the family-centered care map.

Objective: Family-centered care has become integral to the provision of quality neonatal intensive care. However, practices that reflect the core principles of family-centered care have not been described fully in the literature or implemented and evaluated consistently within newborn intensive care. The objective of this study was to create a family-centered care map that enhances the ability of the health care team to work with families to coordinate and deliver care in a holistic manner to meet the developmental, physical, and psychosocial needs of NICU patients and their families.

Implementation and case-study results of potentially better practices for family-centered care: the family-centered care map.

Objective: The objective of this study was to enhance the ability to coordinate and deliver care in a holistic manner, through a family-centered care map, so that the developmental, physical, and psychosocial needs of the infant and family are met.

Methods: A Web-based map was based on 7 distinct clinical phases with 3 variations of an infant's course through a NICU. Sixty-three potentially better practices were identified and 7 potentially better practices were implemented through case studies.

Patient- and family-centered perinatal care: partnerships with childbearing women and families.

Providing patient- and family-centered care is not a simple endeavor. It requires a transformation in organizational culture that is reflected in a myriad of details at the departmental, clinical, and individual provider and patient levels. Patient- and family-centered practitioners know that it is not a recipe or formula of specific practices, but an evolving approach that guides policy and program development, facility design, decision making, and daily interactions throughout the healthcare system.

Designing the neonatal intensive care unit for optimal family involvement.

The design of a new neonatal intensive care unit provides an opportunity to ensure that the new facility best meets the needs of the infants and families whom the unit serves. In design planning,administrators, staff, family members, and the architect must work together in a self-education process that entails examining current design standards, exploring exemplary facilities at other institutions,defining the priorities and needs of infants, families, and staff, and deciding how to respond to them. The involvement of family members in this important work can help ensure that the facility is responsive to families and supports the family as the primary caregiver and decision maker for the infant.

Evaluation and development of potentially better practices for improving family-centered care in neonatal intensive care units.

Objective: Technological and scientific advances have progressively decreased neonatal morbidity and mortality. Less attention has been given to meeting the psychosocial needs of the infant and family than on meeting the infant's physical needs. Parents' participation in making decisions and caring for their child has often been limited.