Campus Location
Abilene Campus (Residential)
Date of Award
12-2024
Document Type
OTD Capstone
Department
Occupational Therapy
Degree
OTD
Faculty Advisor
Amy Gibbs
Site Mentor
Barbi Matthews
Capstone Coordinator
Leslye Molamphy
Specialization
Clinical Practice Skills
Focus
Caregiver Involvement in the NICU
Abstract
This capstone project focused on addressing the challenges that caregivers face in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Caring for an infant in the NICU, combined with the overwhelming environment, often contributes to caregiver trauma and apprehension, as caregivers may fear their involvement could negatively impact their infant’s care. Over the course of 14 weeks, this capstone experience was aimed towards using the SENSE program as a tool to promote health literacy, enhance role confidence and encourage caregiver involvement in the NICU. The use of this program additionally provided the opportunity to provide infants with consistent and developmentally appropriate sensory experiences. During the study, pre- and post-surveys were administered to caregivers and NICU staff to evaluate the program’s impact at the capstone site. Results demonstrated the program’s impact on the site and caregivers, highlighting the significance of supporting caregiver roles and improving their experiences. While significant opportunities remain for further efforts to enhance caregiver experiences in the NICU, this project highlighted how occupational therapy can aid in improving caregiver involvement, and positively influencing infant outcomes.
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