title: Early Initiation of Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) Reduces Length of Stay: A Quality Improvement Project.
abstract: Infants born at ≤32weeks gestation are at risk of developmental delays. Review of the literature indicates NIDCAP improves parental satisfaction, minimizes developmental delays, and decreases length of stay, thus reducing cost of hospitalization. Half (50.6%) of the infants admitted to this 84-bed Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with a gestational age of ≤32weeks were referred for NIDCAP. The specific aims of this quality improvement project were to 1) compare the age at discharge for infants meeting inclusion criteria enrolled in NIDCAP with the age at discharge for those eligible infants not enrolled in NIDCAP; and 2) investigate the timing of initiation of NIDCAP (e.g., within six days of admission) on age at discharge. During the 12month period of data collection, infants enrolled in NIDCAP (M=27.85weeks, SD=1.86) were 2.02weeks younger than those not enrolled in NIDCAP (M=29.87weeks, SD=2.49), and were 2.32weeks older at discharge (M=38.28weeks, SD=5.10) than those not enrolled in NIDCAP (M=35.96weeks, SD=5.60). Infants who enrolled within 6days of admission were discharged an average of 25days sooner (p=0.055), and at a younger post-menstrual age (by 3.33weeks on average), than those enrolled later (p=0.027).
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center, 1719 East 19th Avenue, Denver, CO 80218, United States. Electronic address: huskernumber9@msn.com.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moody
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, College of Nursing, Aurora, CO 80045, United States.
authors.forename: Tiffany J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Callahan
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, College of Nursing, Aurora, CO 80045, United States.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aldrich
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, College of Nursing, Aurora, CO 80045, United States.
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gance-Cleveland
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, College of Nursing, Aurora, CO 80045, United States; Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, United States.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sables-Baus
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000379:methods; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Evidence-based practice; Length of stay; Neonatal intensive care; Newborn individualized developmental care and assessment program (NIDCAP); Premature infants; Quality improvement; Very low birth weight