Infant and Family Rights

NICU Infant and Family Rights and Responsibilities

We have the right to …

  • Be seen as an infant and family first, then as a patient
  • Be listened to
  • Be called by our names
  • Be treated with kindness and respect
  • Be recognized as a unique infant and family
  • Know the members of our health care team, their roles and what care they provide
  • Have our emotional, cultural, spiritual and developmental needs respected
  • Know our plan of care and participate in daily rounds
  • Discuss our fears and concerns with the health care team
  • Have our questions answered in a way we understand
  • Have our privacy protected

Our family has the responsibility to…

  • Be polite and respectful to other families, the staff and environment of the NICU
  • Respect the privacy of other infants and families
  • Follow the NICU infection prevention practices
  • Be open and honest with care providers
  • Ask questions so that we understand our infant’s care
  • Be involved in making decisions about our infant
  • Take an active role in learning our infant’s cues and participating in our infant’s care
  • Provide feedback to staff