Occupational Therapy in the NICU and Caregiver Involvement: The Impact of the SENSE Program

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.