Neonatal ICU – NICU diaries share a lot of the same qualities with ICU diaries. There’s a difference in who uses them and benefits from them the most. In the NICU, the patients are infants, yet their parents also experience significant psychological impacts during their child’s stay. Frequently, the mother herself is a patient as well so she experiences both psychological and physical symptoms. NICU diaries serve as a therapeutic tool for parents to process trauma through journaling, which has been shown to have beneficial effects on mental health. Additionally, nurses and nursing care teams also gain from the insights provided by NICU diaries. This text will explore the various aspects of nursing care that NICU diaries influence.
Emotional Support
Through journaling, parents process the trauma they’re experiencing while their baby is in the NICU. This journaling process offers parents a space to express their thoughts, read about the experiences of the other parent, and foster a sense of connection. Such emotional outlets can enhance nurses’ ability to manage family interactions effectively. The nurses can read parent entires, understand their through processes better and provide more targeted support during crises.1Willmeroth, T. (2024). Nurses’ and Parents’ View on Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Diaries: A Qualitative Study and Framework Conceptualization. American Journal of Perinatology, 41(S 01), e1800-e1812.
Communication Channel
A NICU diary can also represent a communication channel, especially in their digital forms such as the NEO Diary, which can be accessed by parents any time, anywhere. NICU nurses watch and care for babies 24/7 and they make entries into the diary that provide context on what’s happening in the NICU, describe milestones and share encouraging messages for parents. Through these entries, parents get timely, relevant updates on their baby.
Family-Centered ICU
Family-centered care is a cornerstone of NICU practices. While the infant is the primary patient, the entire family is affected by the situation, even if they do not exhibit physical health symptoms. Through a NICU diary, the family gets involved in the care of their infant. They follow updates, document their thoughts and feelings, build better relationships with healthcare providers through open communication. This ultimately empowers them to stay engaged.
Optimizing Workflow
NICU diaries streamline communication by providing regular updates that families can access without needing to call the unit. This saves nurses time because they can focus on their patients instead of spending the time on a phone. Although each interaction may only take a few minutes, the cumulative time savings in a mid to large NICU can be substantial. A digital diary is always next to the patient, readily available and contains prompts that help nurses create entries quickly.
Helping the Mother as a Patient
NICUs are specific because while the main patient is the infant, frequently the mother is a patient as well. A NICU diary is a uniquely effective tool to support the mother (and parents in general) through the psychological part of healing.
Using Data to Address Concerns On Time and Increase Patient Experience
One of the most valuable aspects of NICU diaries is the data they generate. Parents in the NICU document a lot of valuable information from the patient experience standpoint. Access to this data allows healthcare providers to respond to issues as they arise, rather than waiting for post-discharge surveys or reviews. Additionally, the insights gathered from NICU diaries are specific to the neonatal context and may not be captured by broader patient satisfaction tools.
NEO Diary: A Digital Solution
The NEO Diary is a digital NICU diary already implemented in the NICU. It has been helping parents cope with the trauma of the NICU experience through journaling, while also enabling the nursing staff to build better relationships with parents, create a more family-centered environment, improve communication and efficiency, and achieve better outcomes and higher patient satisfaction.
If you want to learn more about the NEO Diary, contact our team.
