Table 3.

Factors that contribute to a parent’s perception of their role in the NICU

Lack of normal experience		Meaningful experiences
Emotions	Barriers	Opportunities	Facilitators
Guilt	Incubator	Holding/skin-to-skin	Effective communication
Stress	Lines/tubes	Family pictures	Staff support
Disconnected/not like a parent	Infant pain/perceived harm	Celebrate milestones/ holidays	Hands-on and graduated training
Fear/terror	Uncertainty of role	Balloons/decorations/gifts	Use of various tools/strategies
Anxiety	Perception of needing medical team approval	Involvement with assessments
		Participate in caregiver activities

NICU neonatal intensive care unit