"Each family has a story:" lived experiences of NICU families from staff perspectives.

Objective: Most Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) literature focuses on parent perspectives, overlooking how staff perceive and respond to family needs. We examined NICU staff perceptions to understand family experiences through a relational and systemic lens.

Design: We conducted five focus groups (N = 22) with multidisciplinary staff and used an inductive-deductive approach to identify themes.

Results: Staff emphasized that families have both unique journeys and common experiences. Staff described how sociocultural barriers, trauma histories, and the reproductive/NICU journey shape family stress. Common stressors include multiple traumas, grief and guilt, and ongoing uncertainty. Although coping strategies are influenced by family values/goals and prior experiences, staff commonly observed emotion-driven behaviors, involvement in care, and less self-care. Staff also noted that the NICU can disrupt family dynamics and communication, yet existing relationship dynamics shape family impact.

Conclusion: Staff perspectives provide additional context for understanding family experiences and highlight the need for tailored family-centered care.