Abstract
Having a critically ill child in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can cause stress and impaired role adaptation for the parents. Transitions in the site of care, care plan, or care team further enhance distress, while negatively affecting family-centered care. The purpose of this evidence-based improvement project is to increase parent satisfaction during the process of NICU patient transitions in care. The design of the intervention included the development and implementation of an educational handout, presented to parents when care transitions are anticipated. The improvement project was guided by the Clinical Microsystems model for improvement and IHI Model for Improvement. Pre-implementation data analyzed parent satisfaction, necessitating the need for improvement in the areas of communication, consistency, and coordination of care. The educational intervention is expected to enhance parent satisfaction over time. Qualitative descriptive data gathered during implementation of the educational handout indicated parent readiness and comprehension of the intervention. Parents of NICU patients experience many changes as part of the care delivery system, with transitions in care negatively affecting satisfaction. An evidence-based microsystems improvement approach can enhance effectiveness of processes to improve family-centered care during these critical transitions.