For this podcast episode, I was very honored to be joined by Ms. Mary Coughlin. Mary is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, but also a published author of several pieces of work. She is well-known in the neonatal world for her development of the core measures for developmentally supportive care, but most recently with her published work and creation of the trauma-informed professional certification program as well as additional programs, workshops and masterclasses through Caring Essentials Collaborative. 

I was so honored to be able to sit down and discuss Mary’s work experience that led her to the transformational work she is doing today. Just listening to Mary is transformational! 

As NICU clinicians, Mary reminds us of the importance of our role and why it is so crucial for us to embrace our vulnerability, take our armor down and truly connect with each other on a human level. Trauma-informed care is not about doing more as a clinician, it is about being more of your loving, compassionate self so you can make a difference by fully showing up for your patient and their family. 

We also discussed the trauma that is so common for NICU parents throughout their NICU journey and in the years to follow. So many NICU parents feel alone and isolated in the process, yet it is common to so many. We discussed the word trauma and why it is often downplayed or not spoken openly about it NICUs like it should be. And most importantly, we share the importance of working through and moving through your trauma, which will be difficult but is essential for the well-being of the entire family unit.

Trauma-informed care is a concept that has been applied to several areas of medicine and patient care, but its application to the NICU is still emerging. Mary learned about trauma-informed care and knew that she had to introduce it into the NICU world. 

Not only does trauma-informed care in the NICU directly affect the baby, but it also addresses the family as well as the clinicians who are caring for the infant and family. Mary explains why the personal journeys we all go through and each of our stories play into an intricate web that involves each and every one of us. It is through this that we can all more intimately connect and heal one other.

Empowering NICU Parents

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