Introducing Family Integrated Care (FICare) to the Neonatal Unit (NNU)

Quality Improvement Poster Download

Background & Problem

The Neonatal Unit provides care for 28 sick or preterm newborn infants, 12 at intensive or high dependency, the remainder special care. The unit employs 80 nurses bands 4-8a; 6 consultants with their teams. The babies receive input mainly from midwifery, paediatrics, health visiting, ophthalmology, physiotherapy, dietetics, speech and language.

Family Integrated Care is an internationally recognised style of neonatal care delivery and family initiated care which was meeting with anxiety amongst staff.

Aim

The focus of this project is on staff understanding and acceptance of FICare. The period under review has been from Jan 2017-April 2018, with plans to revisit once the whole process of implementation has been completed in 2019. The change aimed to move from staff anxiety and reluctance to knowledge and job satisfaction.

Method

Staff knowledge and acceptance was considered throughout the process, with training and discussion groups throughout 2017-2018. A staff survey was performed, using an on-line questionnaire. The data was analysed and used to inform the change process. This will be repeated six monthly during 2019 to monitor staff feelings and maintain momentum.

Results

The teaching sessions and discussions in 2017 highlighted staff anxiety to this change. Key resistors were identified and taken to another unit with the change in place. This influenced their opinions and they have become active and interested. Other staff have attended study days to gain more insight from units further down the change process.

The staff survey was positive and showed the majority of staff to be accepting and comfortable with the change.

Implications

This is a specialist area so the overall changes might not work elsewhere, however the change introduction process would be helpful. Staff understanding and willingness has turned completely and will make the next change process of implementation of FICare easier and less traumatic for families and staff involved.