Barbara Smith-Weaver, RN, RNC, CCRN: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The nurses and technicians in the The Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NNICU) had tried everything they could think of to stop premature babies unable to take food or drink by mouth from crying inconsolably. The episodes occurred an average of 7 times per day for about 23 minutes, burning much needed calories, requiring more oxygen, and slowing weight gain, all things that their fragile little bodies could barely afford to lose.

While the nurses were aware of the use of music therapy in relation to physiological measures for premature infants, they couldn't locate any research detailing its use in calming infants unable to take anything by mouth.

The NNICU Unit Council decided to explore the subject more fully. Under the supervision of a member of the Nursing Research Council, the staff nurses formulated research questions asking what the effect of music therapy was both on the inconsolable behaviors of critically ill infants, as well as the physiological measures such as heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure.

They further collaborated with a doctoral prepared nursing faculty member and a music professional at an affiliated college to identify the type of music most soothing to the hard-to-comfort infants. After making a CD for the infants, the nurses established a data collection procedure and delivery method. Additionally, they assembled research packets for randomized selection, an informed consent form, and a questionnaire to obtain staff feedback on the intervention technique.

After collecting data on 24 premature infants with gestational ages from 32-40 weeks who were classified as inconsolable, the nurses found that the frequency of crying episodes dropped to an average of four per day and lasted only 5.5 minutes, an improvement with a positive impact on the babies, their parents, and the staff.

This innovative research is just one of the many ways that the nurses at the Medical Center exceed the minimum standards of care in fulfillment of their commitment to excellence in patient care.

MCCG Nursing Research:

• What are the themes drawn and essayed by school age children in the “What’s A Nurse?” contest?
• Participation of RNs in the national AONE RN Satisfaction with Support Services Study
• Parental perception of their own and their child’s weight status
• Determining reliability and validity of modified Autar scale as an effective DVT risk assessment nursing tool
• Will perception and satisfaction change post implementation of Staff Injury Prevention program?
• Will implementation of an EBP set of interventions reduce staff injuries?
• Will implementation of a VAP bundle reduce VAP?
• What is the effect of music therapy in the inconsolable 32-40 week critically ill infant
• What is the effect of patient education and removal of barriers to breastfeeding in NNICU?
• What is the impact on nurse satisfaction and patient outcomes of defined throughput solutions?
• Impact of gender bias in triage RN decision making in patients presenting with symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease.

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