NICU Awareness Month and Advocacy for Compassionate Care

A mom holding her baby in the NICU.

Despite the number of babies and families who spend their time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), NICU awareness remains fairly low. This makes initiatives like NICU Awareness Month all the more essential. The NICU is a special place, filled with tiny toes, flashing lights, beeping alarms and quiet whispers.  It’s a place for … Read more

What is Patient Centered Care?

A frontline nurse practicing patient centered care with the patient and their family members.

If you’ve worked in healthcare in the past few years, you know that patient centered care has taken center stage when it comes to both the discussions and innovations around the quality and provision of healthcare. However, with recent pressures and demands on the system and healthcare professionals themselves – including the rise of healthcare … Read more

How Frontline Nurses can Advocate for Patient Safety

Patient advocacy meeting to discuss new infection prevention control measures.

Bedside nursing not only involves delivering care like taking vital signs, running IV-lines and administering medications, it also involves becoming a patient advocate – speaking up for the unique needs and safety of your patients.  However, while patient advocacy has been embraced by many organizations and healthcare teams, it’s often limited in practice.  There are … Read more

Preventing Medical Adhesive Related Skin Injury in Pediatric Patients

A preterm baby who has fragile skin and MARSI has his delicate hand held by his mother's fingers.

Medical adhesive related skin injuries (or MARSIs) are a dangerously common, but under recognized medical complication. From premature infants to elderly patients with chronic-health conditions, MARSI occurs in all care settings and affects patients of all ages. Yet, MARSIs are preventable – not inevitable. In addition to dressing application and removal techniques, today there is … Read more

Helping Children with Congenital Heart Conditions Stay Free and Clear from Surgical Site Infections

An incision scar that has healed on a baby. The baby had received pediatric congenital heart surgery and did not have a surgical site infection.

When a parent is planning for their child’s upcoming surgery, post-operative care and complications like surgical site infections aren’t often top of mind – getting through the operation is the top concern. But, after a child is wheeled back through the operating room doors, a new set of challenges and treatment begins.  After surgery comes … Read more

Compassion Tech and Patient Centered Care

Treating an infant with compassion tech by Covalon

Today, our capacity for empathy and compassion doesn’t just begin in our hearts and minds and end at our fingertips. It now extends to the technology that we hold in our hands.  In healthcare, the vast majority of hospitals now prioritize patient and family centered care: an approach to healthcare that places patients and families … Read more