The Get to Know Me Board in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background: Research on effectiveness of the Get to Know Me board, a patient- and family-centered care intervention, is limited to adult inpatients.

Objectives: This mixed-methods study examined the effect of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)-specific Get to Know Me board on perceptions of empathy, trust, and satisfaction among nurses and families.

Methods: Seventy families of NICU patients and 39 bedside nurses across 5 single-patient room clusters were enrolled. Clusters were randomly assigned to continue using standard communication tools (eg, in-room whiteboard) or add the Get to Know Me board. Family members completed validated measures of perceived empathy, trust in nurses, and satisfaction. Nurses completed a validated measure of engagement in caring behaviors. Quantitative data were analyzed with generalized linear mixed models. Qualitative interviews helped contextualize the findings.

Results: Forty-five family members and 39 nurses completed the study. Three months after implementation, nurses' perception of engagement in caring behaviors was unchanged (P = .40). Family members' perception of empathy significantly differed after 2 weeks (P = .05). Thematic analysis of 4 interviews indicated that the Get to Know Me board helps nurses get to know families and families get to know their children but is only 1 of many tools. Patient- and family-centered care elements important to parents of NICU patients were identified.

Conclusions: The Get to Know Me board can promote family-centered care in the NICU, but a family-centered care environment may be most important. Additional studies of the value of the NICU Get to Know Me board are warranted.