Mullany 1

Quinn Mullany

Mr. Sitterud

English 12

28 September 2020

Neonatal Nurses Changing the World, One Family at a Time

Neonatal Nursing is a field of nursing that takes a hardworking individual. Neonatal

Nurses work with newborn babies who have medical issues, or those that are born premature.

These superheroes work long hours to care for babies and make sure that they remain in good

health. While the job of a neonatal nurse creates high stress levels, these individuals cope with

their stress so they can positively impact families by caring for the child and making parents feel

as comfortable as possible in such hard times.

Countless hours of working throughout the morning, day, and night can be tough on an

individual. Nurses are trained to provide the best care for their patients, and a neonatal nurse

must always have alertness so they are ready for the job, because babies are known to be quite

unpredictable. It is evident that “NICU nurses can experience high levels of psychologic and

physical stress.” (Braithwate) This stress comes from the nature of the workplace and mental

fatigue that comes with the job of a neonatal nurse. The nature of the workplace in the NICU

varies day to day, but “some [nurses] work in high-pressure situations where they must vigilantly

monitor their patients' conditions, while others provide routine care for healthy patients.”

(Eslami) No matter what a neonatal nurse is assigned to on a certain day, it is easy to obtain

stress when working in an environment where patients need constant care. Infants need

monitoring much more than a patient of older age, so it can be clear to see why NICU nurses
 Mullany 2

obtain a great deal of stress. With all of these stressors coming to a nurse at once, it is vital that

they learn to work with it the best they can.

Coping is different for all nurses and the way they cope depends on the stressors that they

are dealing with at the time. Some coping mechanisms for everyone dealing with stress can

include “asking others for help, distancing from the stressor, engaging in problem solving, and

maintaining your composure.” (Cleavland Clinic) By adding these actions into one’s daily

rountine, an individual can learn to better deal with their stress, or completely dissolve their

stress. For neonatal nurses, however, it can be different. The easy option of distancing oneself

from the stressor is not always an option to a neonatal nurse because the stressor is their job.

They must learn to keep their composure and enter the work environment with a positive

attitude. A study from the article “How Do the Nurses Cope with Job Stress” states that there are

three main parts adding up to stress in the workplace. The first one being “feeling stress in

nursing work”. (Eslami) As previously stated, neonatal nurses are engulfed with stress. This

comes upon them daily, and it can be detrimental to their job and their patients. The second part

to stress in a NICU nurses job has to do with “situational coping” (Eslami). The study mentions

that nurses go through a series of steps, including “monitoring of the situation and seeking help

from others” (Eslami) to cope with job stress. To elimante the feeling of stress, situational coping

can have great outcomes for these nurses. Lastly, Eslami writes about the “grey outcome of

coping” (Eslami), which includes “stress reduction and reaching peace.” (Eslami) Once the peace

needed to reduce stress is obtained, it is much easier for a neonatal nurse to focus on their job

and their patients. It is known that working in the medical field can be a fast pace environment

that can cause stress for all. Neonatal nurses especially feel that stress, and it is necessary that

they utilize coping skills so they can continue to be the secondary nurturer for the infant.
 Mullany 3

Once the stress felt in the workplace is eliminated, neonatal nurses must focus on what is

most important to their job, struggling infants. Babies who are born prematurely, or have

underlying health issues need a great amount of care and help. Parents cannot always be there to

help care for their newborn baby, so NICU nurses are individuals who devote countless hours to

help these bundles of joy. Coming from a parents perspective, they mention reasons why NICU

nurses are so important and valued in their life. The article “Why NICU Nurses Mean so Much

to Parents”, written by a parent of a premature infant, lists several reasons why these nurses hold

such a special place in their hearts. It has been said by many families that, “NICU nurses are

fellow nurtures of the baby”. (Discenza) This is something that holds a lot of importance to a

family who has their child in the NICU. Mothers and fathers want to feel comfortable in

knowing that their child is going to be treated with the best care, and an NICU nurse treats a

struggling infant as if they are the mother or father of that child. The babies cannot always obtain

24/7 care by the parents, so mothers and fathers obtain a peace of mind knowing that the nurses

have them in their best interest. The job of NICU nurses is more than just caring for the infants

needs. NICU nurses become close with the families, making them apart of their job too. Many

families can feel alone and start to get down on themselves while their child is in the NICU. For

these families, “just a human precense is sometimes adequate, and often even without words.”

(Beauman) Companionship from the nurses can help families in the hardest of times. The impact

that neonatal nurses make on families is life changing and they are greatly appreciated by all

families who had their child in the NICU.

Neonatal nurses are essential to families in they way that they are always looking out for

babies who need neonatal care. Neonatal nurses obtain stress from working a full day and

having many duties coming at them at once. It is crucial that these nurses learn to cope with their
 Mullany 4

stress by monitoring their situation and asking others for help when needed. Once they are stress

free they are ready to continue holding the outstanding title of a neonatal nurse. It takes a loving,

caring, and hardworking individual to become a neonatal nurse, and it is clearly shown that these

people have a calling for taking care of infants and families. That is why these nurses have a

special place in the hearts of NICU families around the world.

Works Cited

Beauman, Sandy. “The NICU Nurse and Family Impact.” Medela, 16 Dec. 2019,
www.medela.us/breastfeeding-professionals/blog/the-nicu-nurse-and-family-impact.

Braithwate, Mercedes. “Nurse Burnout and Stress in the NICU : Advances in Neonatal Care.” LWW,
journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/Abstract/2008/12000/Nurse_Burnout_and_Stress_in_the_NIC
U.16.aspx.

Discenza, Deborah. Why NICU Nurses Mean So Much to Parents, 2014,

www.academyofneonatalnursing.org/NNT/FCC_WhyNeonatalNurses.pdf.

Eslami Akbar, Rasool, et al. “How Do the Nurses Cope with Job Stress? A Study with Grounded Theory
Approach.” Journal of Caring Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, 1 Sept. 2017,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618945/.

“Stress & Coping.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/6392-stress-coping-with-

lifes-stressors.

Williams, Ellie. “What Is the Work Environment of a Baby Nurse?” Work, 9 Nov. 2016,
work.chron.com/work-environment-baby-nurse-11617.html.

Essential Question Essay Rubric:

Overall
Clear and purposeful organization of essay. 5/4/3/2/1/0

Maintains formal/academic voice throughout their paper 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1/0

Introduction:
Thesis statement is well-crafted and provides a clear and specific direction for the paper. 10 /
9/8/ 7/6/5/4/3/2/1

Broad to specific, adequately narrowing topic to specific areas of the essential question; hook
appropriately grabs the reader's attention 5/4/3/2/1/0
 Mullany 5
Body Paragraphs:
The purpose of a topic sentence is to start off your body paragraph by mentioning what you will be
talking about.
Topic Sentences are well-crafted and provides a clear and specific direction for each paragraph
5/ 4/ 3/ 2/ 1/0

Quotes and facts are embedded, using transitions and lead-in techniques. 5/ 4/ 3/ 2/ 1/0

Supporting Details are specifically connected to the topic sentence and overall purpose of the
paper. The supporting details come from a variety of sources.
20 / 19 / 18 / 17 / 16 / 15 / 14 / 13 / 12 / 11 / 10

Develops a quality, in-depth understanding, discussion, and analysis in response to the essential
question. Analysis is effective and clear; provides deliberate insight as connected to the essential
question.
20 / 19 / 18 / 17 / 16 / 15 / 14 / 13 / 12 / 11 / 10

Conclusion:

Clearly establishes their position on the essential question they are addressing. 5/ 4/ 3/ 2/ 1/0

Nuts & Bolts:

Citation/Quote format is correct. 5/ 4/ 3/ 2/ 1/0

Cites adequately throughout, showing credibility and evidence of avoiding plagiarism. Varies the
research, using a minimum of 5 quotes.
5/ 4/ 3/ 2/ 1/0

Includes a Works Cited Page & is formatted correctly (MLA) Using a minimum of 3 sources.

5/ 4/ 3/ 2/ 1/0

Carefully and thoughtfully edited. (Grammar and sentence structure is correct) 5/ 4/ 3/ 2/ 1/0