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5 West NICU Family Care Unit
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Nine Stollery NICU beds have been transferred into the Family Care Unit, located in the Lois Hole Hospital for Women. This new unit allows family to stay with their babies and be involved in their care. The unit celebrated its grand opening on April 6th. To help celebrate, we are featuring two exceptional women that were a part of the working group that made this new unit a reality.
Karen Pelletier RN BSCN  Patient Care Manager
Northern Alberta Neonatal Intensive Care Program
Royal Alexandra Hospital Site
Parent participation in working groups related to clinical practice and processes provides significant benefit and more and more groups are taking advantage of this great opportunity.
The 5 West NICU Family Care Unit working group began meeting during the planning stages of this initiative and have continued to meet during its opening and initial stages. Having a parent participate in this working group has really been beneficial in bringing the family perspective to the planning and implementation of this new unit. The family experience has been a priority of this working group and the family representative has been a key contributor in ensuring this priority has been met. Her contribution to the development of a 5 west family survey was extremely valuable and appreciated. Participating and providing input into guidelines and processes has resulted in a greater focus on promoting family centered care.
Thanks to the 5 west NICU Family Care Unit working group and the contributions of our volunteer family member, this initiative is off to a great start and has already demonstrated staff satisfaction and a positive experience for our NICU families.
 Caitlin Nicholson NICU Graduate Mom
My excitement and enthusiasm for the 5West Family Care Unit started the minute I was approached about it and I am so excited that more NICU parents will be able to stay with and care for their preemie before going home. As a NICU graduate mom I understand the impact having a premature baby has. Our experience was in a Level II NICU where I was fortunate enough to be able to stay with our daughter and learn how to provide care for her prior to discharge. An experience that I know not all preemie parents are given and I hope that with the creation of units like the 5West Family Care Unit, it is something that will change.
Being present and involved in my daughter's day-to-day care helped me feel confident in my ability to care for her. Emotionally, it also let me feel like I was still doing my best, as her Mother, in an unexpected circumstance that was completely out of my control. From learning how to change diapers through an incubator; to working around numerous wires, leads and machines just so I could pick her up and hold her skin-to-skin; and eventually learning how to establish breastfeeding while discontinuing NG feeds, these were all important tasks for me as a Mother in the NICU. I believe it is important for staff to recognize that preemie parents are in a situation we never planned to be in and many of our first milestones (first bath, first time in clothes, etc) occur in the NICU. Being able to stay with my daughter and provide hands on "motherly care" gave me the opportunity to be present for some of these firsts while instilling a sense of confidence in my ability to care for her upon discharge.
I felt it was important to bring a parent's voice to the table and express how much being involved in the simple day-to-day tasks means to a preemie parent and to help explain what it is like to be a preemie parent navigating life in the NICU. I hope that through my involvement with the 5West Family Care Unit Working Group, current and future RAH NICU parents are able to establish confidence in caring for their premature baby, as I was able to. It has been heart warming to see all the thought and compassion that has gone into creating this unit. I am honoured to have been part of the working group and to have seen first hand how committed the RAH NICU staff are at working collaboratively with parents to provide exceptional care for our premature babies.
Hear more about how the 5 West NICU Family Centred Care Unit is helping families.
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| Youth Council at the Stollery - First Meeting!!! | |
The Family Centered Care team hosted the first Youth Council (YC) meeting on April 23, 2016. The meeting was well attended by former patients, siblings, staff and management. The meeting included lunch, icebreaker games, testimonials from CAYAC (Child and Youth Advisory Council in Calgary) members, information about the YC and brainstorming about what members want from the council. Staff also met with parents about how to support their child when they participate in the YC. The youth shared ideas about potential outdoor space, pediatric menus, and resources for inpatients among many others. When asked about why they wanted to join the YC, participants answered that they wanted to meet others with similar experiences, share their experiences for the good of others and that they were interested in learning more about the healthcare system. They also said the interactive icebreakers and the openness of staff made it easy to feel comfortable and have fun!
The Youth Council at the Stollery invites youth participants aged 12-18 who have experience in the healthcare system as a patient or a sibling to join this important and exciting initiative. Information can be requested from the Family Centered Care Social Worker, Amanda McLellan, at amanda.mclellan@ahs.ca or 780-407-2739.
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| Family Centred Care Open House | 
On April 26th the Family Centred Care Council hosted their first Open House. Over 50 people attended the event with a great turn out from families, network members, council members and Stollery staff and senior management.
The event included food and refreshments, beautiful flower arrangements (designed by Nurse Deb Olmstead) and a chance to interact with families, former patients and staff from the Stollery. Members of the Family Centred Care Council, NICU FACT, Youth Council and the Family Centred Care Network hosted posters of the work they have been involved in at the Stollery Children's Hospital. Over 15 different posters highlighting everything from peer support to capital planning were showcased.
After the open house everyone was invited to stay for the
Family Centred Care Council meeting to see first-hand the difference that families are making at the Stollery. Feedback on the event was very positive, it was a great way to meet others and to see the variety of projects that families and patients are involved in across the Stollery.
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| Peer Support Training | |
The next dates for peer support training are Tuesday, May 24 and 31 from 5-9 pm. There are several different peer support opportunities available at the Stollery:
Coffee, Comfort and Conversation
- Weekly drop-in family peer support group for NICU and PICU families
- Facilitated by a Social Worker and Stollery Chaplain with a former NICU/PICU family member to provide peer support
- Wednesday afternoons, 2:30 - 3:30 pm in the NICU Conference Room
- Time Commitment: 1 shift/month
Family Bedside Orientation
- One to one peer support program for inpatient families on 5G4, medicine unit
- Visits involve both peer support and orientation information
- Time Commitment: 1.5-2hr shift/1-2 weeks weekday mornings, afternoons or evenings
NICU Parent Group
- Weekly drop-in parent group for RAH NICU parents
- Facilitated by a Social Worker with an NICU graduate family member to provide peer support
- Wednesday afternoons, 1:30 - 3 pm in the Bear Den
- Time Commitment 1 shift/4-6 weeks
If you are interested in Peer Support Training or if you are interested in learning more about any of the peer support opportunities, contact Christie at 780-407-4710.
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EC HO - seeking Volunteers for Parents' Advisory
Group
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The ECHO Research (Evidence in Child Health to enhance Outcomes), Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence (ARCHE) and Cochrane Child Health research programs at the University of Alberta aim to engage parents/families in developing processes and resources for connecting parents/families with research-based information on children's health care.
Click here for more information.
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| 2014/15 Annual Report |  | |
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| Facebook | 
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Did you know the Stollery Children's Hospital is now on Facebook?
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Family Centred Care at the Stollery
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At the Stollery Children's Hospital families, staff, and physicians work together on many initiatives such as:
- Sharing family stories at:
- New staff orientation
- Education of health professionals
- Grand Rounds
Reviewing and providing input on:
- Policy and procedures
- Educational materials for families
- Design and improvement of facilities and services
- Supporting other families through Peer Support opportunities
- Participating in the selection of new senior level staff and physicians
- Bringing Wifi to patients and families on the units
- Research
- Serving on the Family Centred Care Council
- Serving on the NICU Family Advisory Care Team
- Serving together on other committees and special projects
We are making ripples everyday and those ripples have a growing effect. We are getting more requests than ever to hear from families and patients as advisors, partners and consultants. If you or someone you know would be interested in the opportunity to make meaningful changes at the Stollery, please let us know. |
| Join today. |
Do you know anyone who would be interested in being part of the Family Centred Care Network? Apply Online .
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