January 2021
Mollie
Poor
,
RN, BSN
Neonatal ICU
Oregon Health & Science University
Mollie elevated concerns related to the neurodevelopment of infants, due to the lack of ability to fully visualize their parent's facial expression.
As a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Mollie Poor has a long-standing history of having a passion for the patient/family experience and serving in a variety of capacities to promote family centeredness. With the addition of COVID-19 related visitor, restrictions came established protocols for use of PPE, including masks, even for families in the NICU setting due to space constraints. Mollie elevated concerns related to the neurodevelopment of infants, due to the lack of ability to fully visualize their parent's facial expression. She researched various options and reviewed the limited literature and evidence regarding this concern while applying for approval with the PPE subcommittee to have families in the NICU be eligible to use the clear masks when they became available to the organization. After receiving the approval to use these masks in the NICU setting, Mollie went on to coordinate the procurement of these masks from logistics and the process by which they would be distributed to families at the NICU front desk. NICU families have expressed overwhelming appreciation of this opportunity to be able to have these and the impact these masks have made in their ability to interact in a more meaningful way with their babies.