The Impact of Communication and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Environment on Parent Involvement

Survival rates of premature infants hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units have improved dramatically due in large part to technological advancements in obstetrics and neonatology. The first neonatal intensive care units were restrictive to parents. Parental involvement has evolved from parental viewing from outside a window, to a “family-centered care” focus. This transition in thinking and practice has lead to the critical examination of the environment in which care is provided to critically ill neonates and how communication patterns may be influenced by the physical environments themselves. This article describes the evolution of parent involvement as it pertains to caring for critically ill newborns and the physical structure of the environment where these newborns receive care. In addition, the many C's of communication are examined, and strategies to enhance effective communication among health care professionals and with parents are provided.