Admission
At the admission stage, communicate clearly and consistently with families and carers about practical aspects of care, including:
- orientation in the unit
- how to arrange expressing of breastmilk and lactation support
- bedside and visiting rules
- accommodation for families and carers.
For more, see Communicating with families and carers.
When moving from admission to the unit, see Handover.
Parents say
“I want a guide, and a person who is going to physically take me through this process. They don't need to be around all the time.”
“I remember crying at the nurse's station because I didn't have anywhere to go. The Cottage wasn’t part of the NICU and not their responsibility, but for us it was a really pivotal part of that whole experience.”
How to introduce yourself
When you meet a family for the first time in the unit, introduce yourself by your first or full name and briefly explain your role in their baby’s care, such as in the example below.
Neonatologists are paediatricians who specialise in the medical care of premature and sick babies and are responsible for the medical care of your baby.
Fellows/Registrars/Residents are doctors that are doing specialised training in neonatology and carry out the day-to-day review of your baby needs. (Fellows are the most senior, residents the most junior and the registrars are in between the two). All are supervised by the attending neonatologist.
Registered Nurses work with the family to provide care. Work as part of the care team.
Nurse practitionersare nurses who have advanced training skills.
Clinical Nurse Consultants work with clinicians to develop and improve care through education, policy and quality and safety.
Nurse Managers/Nursing Unit Managers are responsible for managing of staff and the unit.
Nurse Educators/Clinical Educators provide education to staff working in the unit.
Lactation Consultants support expression of breast milk and breastfeeding.
Physiotherapists provide care for babies in the NICU.
Occupational Therapists provide care for babies in the NICU.
Speech Pathologists provide care for babies in the NICU.
Dietitians provide care for babies in the NICU.
Social Workers help families with problems that they might face, including the emotional and social stress that is caused by having a premature or sick baby.
Specialists are doctors who provide care when specialised treatments are required.
Surgeons are doctors who provide care when surgical treatments are required.
Additional resources
Safety fundamentals for person-centred communication
Key resources on effective communication for health professionals.
Source: Clinical Excellence Commission
Miracle Babies Foundation - resources
Information on ordering resources for hospitals.
Source: Miracle Babies Foundation
Touch and holding for sick or premature babies in the NICU
Information on building your bond with your baby through touch.
Source: raisingchildren.net.au
Miracle babies foundation - neonatal care hub
Source: Miracle Babies Foundation
Staff say
“We think we involve the parents, but in reality often we don't.”
Using virtual care
You can use virtual care with family and carers at the time of a baby’s admission to:
- provide a tour of the unit
- include the other parent, family members and carers
- explain how the unit works, including ward rounds, visiting hours and the patient journey board (encourage parents and carers to write on it)
- introduce staff and their roles
- promote open communication and build strong relationships
- provide an opportunity to ask questions
- gain relevant medical history and other family history
- provide relevant information and resources, including user guides to support parents and carers on how to use virtual care
- show the patient journey board to family connecting via video conference and give them the opportunity to add to it.
At admission stage, it is also helpful to send a short email or SMS summarising the main priorities for the baby's care. This can help to focus the family members and allow them to refer back to the information provided if needed.
See Virtual Care for resources, including step-by-step instructions on making calls.