Enny Sonuga
Bobbie and Enny are the NNU’s Family Centred Care Coordinators, who provide support to families and parents on the unit. They feel privileged to work with so many wonderful families, during a very difficult time in their lives. As well as offering hands-on help to families, they are responsible for introducing initiatives such as Cuddle Charts and Kangaroo Care, delivering staff training and liaising with the rest of the team to ensure Family Centred Care is embedded into policy and practice across the unit.
Family Centred care is based on the understanding that the family is the baby’s primary source of strength and support and that the family’s perspectives and informed choices are important in clinical decision making. Involving families in neonatal care in this way also helps increase parents’ confidence in their role, reducing stress and contributes to improved outcomes for their babies.
Bobbie Everson
So how do Family-Centred Care Coordinators help families?
They provide general support; listening to parents’ concerns, discussing practical issues such as parking, finances and housing and liaising closely with our unit counsellors, chaplains and the wider team.
They encourage parents to get to know their baby – suggesting ways for them to feel closer to their baby and to understand their baby’s cues. Parents know their babies better than anyone else and they can often notice subtle changes in their baby’s condition before staff do.
They talk to parents about developmental care, so they understand how creating a positive environment for baby promotes healthy development.
From as early as possible, parents are supported by staff to be as involved in their baby’s care as they wish to be. Sometimes this is scary, but the benefits to the babies and parents are huge.
Parents are taught by all staff of ways to calm, comfort and touch their baby. Positive touch and cuddling is a wonderful feeling for parents and all staff will encourage and facilitate this.
They support mums to start and maintain their milk supply and can answer questions about expressing and breastfeeding. When needed, they will refer onto the unit’s Feeding Specialists for further advice and support.
Weekly Parent Sessions
These informal drop-in sessions are held every Wednesday afternoon in the Family Room. Parents are welcome to come and chat and refreshments are provided by First Touch. NNU staff are present, usually a Neonatal Consultant, one of the Family Centred Care Coordinators, or one of the Unit counsellors.
You can find either Bobbie or Enny on the unit on Monday to Friday. When they are not on duty a message can be left with your baby’s nurse, the Sister in charge, or with Reception.
