AHA podcast discusses how literacy strengthens bonding in the NICU

In an American Hospital Association podcast, Gabriela Jimenez Thompson, program lead of Our Story Begins at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, and Liliana Escobar, RN, neonatal intensive care unit nurse at Bellevue Hospital Center discuss how the One Story Begins program uses books, reading, language and nurse education to strengthen NICU parent engagement, bonding and early childhood development. The program started to ensure caregivers of NICU babies understood the importance of their babies hearing their voices, especially if there are restrictions on skin-to-skin contact. Parents also receive books to promote language and cognitive development. The program has reached 72% of all NICU admissions. NICU nurses also seek to build parents’ confidence by including them in rounds and inviting them to ask questions.