In honor of National Nurses week, May 6th – 12th, I’d like to highlight a few of the reasons our Family Connects RN’s are so special. They truly have “the right stuff” for our program and I’m reminded of this every day. What a privilege it is to work alongside this team of nurses!
First off, they are passionate about babies and their families. One of the reasons they joined the program was that they love the idea of helping babies get the best start possible. I’ve heard a nurse on our team say, “I can’t believe I get paid to visit babies every day.” And those visits are full of opportunities to make a difference, something nurses are wired to do. Our nurses evaluate twelve different areas of health and wellness in order to best support babies and their families. Those areas include: how mom and baby are doing following delivery, how feeding is going, support related to infant crying, support related to child care resources, and so much more.
Secondly, our nurses are skilled in maternal-child nursing. Most practiced nursing at local hospitals on post-partum, nursery or neonatal Intensive care units before joining our team. We’ve all received specific training in the Family Connect model which emphasizes the nurse’s connection with the family and with community resources so they can better connect with their new baby. Our nurses also receive much ongoing training especially on topics related to caring for moms and babies.
Finally, our nurses have a heart for providing care in the community. Home visiting can be a challenge but a nurse meeting someone where they are, in their home, can provide a clearer picture of a family’s needs and carries with it, a certain warmth and spirit of helping that can feel more positive than practicing in other settings. Home visiting allows the nurse to focus solely on a specific family while in the home. And during the visit, the nurse is a supportive presence, a teacher, a helper, and a champion for the family all at once. Following the visit, our nurses follow up in regards to any specific needs or resources and will make a follow up visit to the family if needed.
I’m very proud to be a nurse and to have the opportunity to work with an amazing team of nurses who help families every day.
Happy National Nurses Week!
– Jenny Fairchild, Director of Nursing
