More Than Medicine: Healing Hearts in the NICU
With the stress and chaos that can come with a stay in a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, there is a team of nurses that families quickly cherish — the March of Dimes NICU Community Team in the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.
This group of nurses and a coordinator provides more than just traditional medical care. They are dedicated to bringing peace, comfort and joy to families and their babies during their NICU stay.
Kelly Collins, the NICU family support program coordinator for the March of Dimes, is the founder of the team. She focuses on educating and providing a better patient experience for families in the NICU.
“I connect with the families on a more personal level. I say I’m kind of like a big sister, mom or good friend to try and make them feel like they’re not alone here,” Collins explained.
Collins spends quality time with the families in the children’s hospital NICU each day. She delivers free books, available in both English and Spanish so that families can read them bedside and at home. Collins also teaches free classes once a week, educating families on topics like kangaroo care, infant nutrition and more, using the motto “healthy moms, strong babies.”
“It makes you feel nice, not only being taken care of medically, but also emotionally. It’s just so sweet, and it gives you peace of mind,” a NICU mom shared.
But Collins could not pull it off without the support of the community team. “I could not do it without them. They are invaluable to me, and I am so grateful that they are available, enthusiastic and open to whatever I suggest,” she said.
Holly Nelson, BSN, RN, a nurse in the children’s hospital NICU, has been a valued supporter of the March of Dimes since the 1980s. As the community team’s leader, she goes above and beyond. She brings in crafts, donated clothes, bouncy seats and more for the NICU families. Nelson also attends the Just Between Friends sale — a twice-a-year shopping experience in Legacy Park, Alachua, where she can buy clothes, toys, shoes, books, videos and baby gear. Every time she attends the sale, she fills her trunk with all the treasures she finds to give back to the NICU.
When asked about why she exceeds the expectations for the families in the NICU and her team, Nelson responded, “I’ve always loved to help people, and that’s why I went into nursing. Making people happy makes me happy.”
The team’s role is to create some normalcy for families in the NICU, especially during the holidays when times can be overwhelming and isolating. The team enjoys making crafts, baking cookies and chatting with families. One of the team’s favorite and most popular traditions is celebrating holidays with the NICU babies.
Taylor Stevens, BSN, RN, and Kaleigh Dycus, RN, both nurses in the children’s hospital NICU, oversee all holiday traditions. This includes arts and crafts with parents, decorating rooms and dressing up the babies.
Other impactful team members, who also are nurses in the children’s hospital NICU, include Kyra Kimball, RN, the NICU reunion coordinator, who is organizing the Nov. 8 event, and Abigayle Goins, RN, the team’s liaison for March for Babies, an annual charitable walking event held by the March of Dimes.
“This team is amazing. Their support not only impacts my baby but also supports me. I enjoy the little pieces of artwork to take home, like when you send your kids to daycare and they bring home drawings. I put them on my refrigerator, and it really means a lot,” the NICU mom shared.
“Watching the Community Team dress the NICU babies up for holidays just melts my heart every time. They love their jobs, love these babies and love these families,” Collins said.
Email Kelly Collins at KCollins@marchofdimes.org if you are interested in donating items to the March of Dimes and helping support NICU babies and families.
