Occupational Therapy & Trauma-Informed Care in the NICU

Examine trauma informed care in the NICU via interprofessional collaboration, detailing measures such as healing environment, family involvement, collaborative care, pain management, protective sleep, and activities of daily living.

Promotes trauma informed care in the NICU by recognizing trauma and integrating knowledge into policies and practices. Supports infant development with a healing environment, family collaboration, and skin-to-skin care.

Assess trauma-informed care in the NICU and apply evidence to optimize positioning and sensory development, informing nurses, families, and caregivers about neuroprotective care practices.

Develop professionalism and advocacy in occupational therapy to influence positive change in NICU care. Educate families and caregivers, including Spanish speakers, with a handout on signs of stress and coping.

Develop proficiency in NICU occupational therapy and trauma-informed care by conducting evaluations, setting four-week goals, and delivering clustered interventions with documentation to support self-soothing, reduce stress, and guide caregiver education.

Empower parents with information, support, and coping strategies to actively participate in their infant's NICU care, including education on NICU equipment, swaddling, and neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Discover how occupational therapy supports NICU infants through positioning, daily care evaluation, and caregiver education, while applying trauma-informed care to mitigate toxic stressors like separation and painful procedures.

Offer gratitude to mentors and collaborators who shaped my occupational therapy capstone in the NICU. Thank Amy Dalton, Christy Fuller, Drake University faculty, Mercy One, and my family for mentorship.

Identify and review the references and artifacts that informed this presentation, and access the resources used for the provided information.