Nursing Perspectives: Transforming NICU Culture: The Power of Meaningful Recognition

Abstract

Amazing care delivery happens in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) around the globe, 24/7. As you are reading this abstract, thousands of acts involving extraordinary nursing have occurred in NICUs (babies have been held by their parents for the first time, parents have been comforted and given hope for their child’s future, a few extra milliliters of a tube feeding were tolerated, and children were successfully weaned off ventilators). Behind each of these amazing acts are nurses who come together not only to deliver clinical excellence but also to create a NICU culture that turns fear and uncertainty into hope and optimism. Derived from the collective behaviors of staff, the culture of a NICU can also be influenced and shaped by recognizing the contributions nurses make every day. Research involving The DAISY Award (an acronym for “diseases attacking the immune system”), which recognizes nurses in a meaningful way for their extraordinary contributions, found that this type of acknowledgment benefits individuals, units, and organizations. This article explores the impact meaningful recognition can have on the NICU culture and how this type of feedback can be used to sustain healthy work environments.