Opioid affected births complicate nurse-mother-baby relationships and cause physical, emotional, social, and financial burdens. The focus of the NAS Parent Educator™ is to help educate and support NAS affected families to provide better outcomes for the baby and the mother.
Typically, the educational lessons are delivered via an App that can be customized for each hospital, although other delivery options are available. Hospitals may install the app on their own devices or get dedicated tablets from MetaMD that provide additional functionality and benefits. Also, each hospital receives a code to share with parents so they may access lessons from home.
Educational topics include the signs and symptoms of NAS, how it is monitored and treated, expected outcomes, how to best care for the baby, and more. A key component of the program is to encourage and engage parents to be an active part of their baby’s care.
The diagram below summarizes key relationship issues, responsibilities, and dynamics that were considered while designing the program to help mothers be better providers for their babies.