Brittany Brown

As a Family Support Specialist for 7 1/2 years in a neonatal intensive care unit, I learned to communicate with and support families who are experiencing a very difficult time, having their baby in the NICU. In doing this, I was required to pass along information to the medical team because I had a very different relationship with the parents and families. This required me working closely with the nurses, neonatologist, nurse practitioners, and social worker to meet the needs of the families. We wanted to make the stay of the baby in the NICU as comfortable as possible for the family.

.I presented at several conferences about my experience with having a baby in the NICU. This helped other hospitals NICUs to understand from a parents perspective how they can help in making the process more comfortable for the families, not just the baby's. Also, I would assist in presenting published clinical trials and posters that focused on the importance of family centered care on a baby's development while in the NICU.

I gained skills that included, but not limited to:

• working closely with the medical team at all team meetings
• maintaining a good relationship with several families at one time
• organizing fundraisers
• planned and held events for the NICU staff and graduate families
• public speaking in front of several hospital representatives about my experience working with families and maintaining that good relationship in order to assist the medical team
• assisting in presenting data in front of a large audience
• understanding medical terminology used in NICUs
• collecting and submitting data for the medical team
• improved Microsoft Office skills