Home > Arhiva > 2010 > Numar: 2 > “I’m Special, Too”: Promoting Sibling Adjustment in the Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit “I’m Special, Too”: Promoting Sibling Adjustment in the Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit
by:
- Shari Munch (University of New Jersey, MSW, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 536 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901; E-mail: smunch@rci.rutgers.edu.)
- Judy Levick (Devos Children’s Hospital, MSW, ACSW, Parent-to-Parent program coordinator, Neonatal Services, Devos Children’s Hospital, Spectrum Health, Downtown Campus, Grand Rapids, MI; E-mail: judy.levick@ spectrum-health.org. An earlier version of this article was presented at the Seventh National Conference on Perinatal Social Work, May 1993, Cincinnati, Ohio)
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Sisters and brothers of newborns hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units experience unique thoughts and emotions in response to this situational crisis. Unfortunately, the psychosocial wellbeing of siblings is often overlooked. This article describes the “Sibling Night” program at DeVos Children’s Hospital Neonatal Services at Spectrum Health that uses both parent and sibling groups to address the psychosocial needs of siblings. The article underscores the opportunity for social workers to collaborate with interdisciplinary team members to address the complex needs of siblings and their families.
Keywords: Neonatal intensive care unit, NICU, siblings, support group, family-centered care
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