Having a child in the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Mercyhealth is an emotional experience that is only fully understood by another parent who has been through a similar situation. Many parents who’ve had a baby in Mercyhealth’s NICU want to help other families by making the NICU experience the best it can be. These are the people who make up the Family Advisory Council.
Support for NICU parents
The NICU Family Advisory Council is here to listen and offer support to parents during a baby’s NICU stay. Providing social, emotional and educational support to families is one of the most valuable things the council does.
The council also helps NICU families by:
- Using their NICU experience to help guide the NICU staff in the development of practices that meet the needs of families in the NICU
- Encouraging families to take an active role in their babies care while working with the NICU staff
- Suggesting and developing programs that support the concepts of patient and family-centered care
- Planning special events for parents, such as providing cupcakes and poems for moms over Mother’s Day weekend and creating care packages for families in the NICU
- Hosting an annual NICU Reunion, typically held in the fall
The NICU Family Advisory Council members meet regularly to discuss the needs of NICU families and staff. They develop projects to meet these identified needs, helping to make the NICU experience the best it can be for families and NICU staff.