Moving Forward from the Past with Equity, Inclusion and Cultural Humility: Contemporizing the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Family Centered Care Model
Thursday, October 12, 2023
8:15 AM – 9:30 AM ET
Location: Dover C (Third Floor)
In this session we will argue that existing NICU family centered care models, which are currently utilized for provision of psychosocial support to families, lack the key elements of equity, inclusion and cultural humility. These models were conceived to support families in navigating the stressful life event of an infant’s NICU admission. Their development, however, occurred in an era prior to recognition of the medical field’s systematic shortcomings in providing equitable care and their impact on disparities in outcomes for marginalized communities; thus, they do not include cultural or equitable healthcare considerations. Subsequent trauma informed care frameworks mention cultural awareness and competence but fail to delve into sufficient detail or provide practical guidance. While cultural competence is recommended in some frameworks, the concept of cultural humility is not explored. Given the significant neonatal care inequities experienced by various marginalized groups based on race, ethnicity, immigrant status, limited English proficiency status, LGBTQ+ status and others, incorporating the experience of these patients in a thoughtful, targeted manner in family centered care frameworks is of critical importance in order to ensure culturally humble and thus more just and equitable treatment. In this session we will review the past approaches to family centered care in the NICU and propose a novel, updated framework which integrates knowledge of self and of the patient and reflective practice as key steps necessary for the development of trustworthiness and trust in the patient-provider relationship. We will engage the audience elucidating strategies to improve psychosocial outcomes for marginalized families.
Stephanie Kukora – Pediatrics – Children's Mercy Kansas City; Katheleen Hawes – Pediatrics – Women & Infants Hospital/Brown University