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Parent experience of Beads of Courage program in a neonatal intensive care unit
John G Joyce1, Katie M Flynn1, Marie Lynch1
1Department of Neonatology, Rotunda Hospital, Parnell Square, Dublin 1 D01 P5W9, Ireland.
Insights
The Beads of Courage program significantly improved the experience for parents in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This arts-in-medicine intervention enhanced parental coping and engagement during infant hospitalization.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Psychosocial Interventions
- Arts-in-Medicine
Background:
- Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) present a stressful environment for parents.
- The Beads of Courage program offers psychosocial support for families facing serious childhood illnesses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the Beads of Courage program on the parental experience in the NICU.
Main Methods:
- Infants under 32 weeks gestation were enrolled between 2016-2018.
- A 13-point questionnaire assessed parent experiences post-discharge.
Main Results:
- 123 infants were enrolled; mean gestational age was 27.7 weeks.
- All parents found the program helpful and enjoyable, with 85% reporting it made their NICU stay easier.
- 72.5% rated the program as extremely helpful and enjoyable.
Conclusions:
- The Beads of Courage program is a popular and effective psychosocial intervention for NICU parents.
- It enhances parental awareness, understanding of infant care, and inclusion in the infant's treatment.
- The program facilitates communication and engagement, easing the parental journey in the NICU.
Aim:
The neonatal intensive care unit can be a stressful environment for parents. The Beads of Courage program is an arts-in-medicine, psychosocial intervention, designed to strengthen and support children and families who are coping with serious or life-threatening illness. We hypothesised that the program would improve the parent experience in the neonatal unit.
Methods:
Infants less than 32 weeks' gestation were eligible for enrolment on the program. The study was conducted from 2016 to 2018. A 13 point questionnaire was sent to participating parents post discharge from the unit including a combination of Likert scale and open-ended questions.
Results:
During the study period 123 infants were enrolled. Mean gestational age was 27.7(±2.2) weeks and median length of stay was 49 days (lower quartile 34; upper quartile 76). All respondents rated the program as "helpful and enjoyable" with 72.5% rating it "extremely helpful and enjoyable", 85% felt the program made their stay in the neonatal unit easier.
Conclusion:
The Beads of Courage program was found to be an extremely popular initiative for parents in a neonatal unit setting and was found to be a useful adjunct to communication and inclusion of parents in the care of their infants.
Summary:
The Beads of Courage program in a NICU setting was found to be very helpful for parents in improving awareness of procedures and understanding overall care of their infants. Parents felt their journey was made easier with the additional engagement and communication with being in the program.
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