As the professional voice of neonatal nurses, NANN recommends that all clinicians serving babies and families in crisis embrace and operationalize a trauma-informed approach to care in the NICU and beyond.
The first step to transform and humanize the NICU environment is to acknowledge the traumatic nature of this fast-paced, technology-oriented setting for all who inhabit this unique space. In mitigating the suffering of babies and families in crisis, NICU nurses and other interdisciplinary professionals are empowered to transform the experience of intensive care for vulnerable infants, families in crisis, and themselves. Trauma-informed care is an effective, compassionate, and evidence-based strategy that protects and preserves the mental health and moral integrity of clinicians, subsequently improving safety and quality of care, communication, and collaboration in the NICU and beyond.