Improving communication with parents: the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Empathy Workshop

Objective To implement an Empathy Workshop focused on improving Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) health care provider communication skills. Methods Staff-led, small group Empathy Workshops were conducted over a 2 year period. NICU parents answered a section of the Picker Institute Parent Experiences of Neonatal Care Survey in the pre- and post-intervention periods. NICU health care providers completed the NICU Provider Communication Skills Self-Assessment at three time points. Results Parent survey scores significantly improved in two questions: referring to child by first name (p = 0.02) and being offered emotional support from the staff (p = 0.03) or information on parent support groups (p = 0.03). Fifty-seven NICU providers completed all three self-assessments. Following the workshop, providers were significantly more comfortable with daily communication, discussing end of life issues, managing anxiety around difficult conversations, and handling a combative situation. Conclusions The Empathy Workshop successfully enhanced NICU provider communication skills, thereby improving emotional support demonstrated to NICU parents.