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Description
This capstone evaluated the current state of trauma-informed developmental care practices in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at El Paso Children’s Hospital to identify barriers and inform sustainable improvement strategies. The capstone student shadowed across multiple disciplines, including occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, nursing, and lactation consultants. The capstone student surveyed NICU team members and interviewed unit leadership to assess staff knowledge, confidence, and feedback mechanisms. The capstone student found that staff expressed moderate confidence in delivering developmental care but faced barriers, including communication gaps between disciplines, limited leadership prioritization, and knowledge gaps. The capstone student developed a roadmap specific to the needs of the NICU. The roadmap includes actionable steps to take as well as evidence-based recommendations based on observations, shadowing experience, survey feedback, and formal interviews.
Publication Date
2025
Disciplines
Occupational Therapy
Recommended Citation
Conner, Roberto, "Enhancing Developmental Care in the NICU: A Program Evaluation and Roadmap for Trauma- Informed Practice" (2025). OT Doctoral Capstones. 5.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/otcapstones/5