Preparing parents for NICU discharge: an evidence-based teaching tool.

Preparation for discharge and transition to parents' care of infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a process that begins on admission. Identifying parents' educational needs requires thoughtful assessment by experienced nurses. Caring for these infants can be daunting to parents, and participating in a discharge class can be very helpful in easing the transition to home. This article describes a NICU discharge informational DVD/video that was developed to deliver parent education and promote informed and safe transition from hospital to home.