Holding the Whole: Trauma-Informed Strategies for Supporting Complex Families in the NICU - F26OD301 - On-Demand

Intended Audience: All neonatal nurses and physician assistants.

Credits: 1 ANCC NCPD Contact Hour(s)

NCC Codes: NNP5, NIC4, LRN5, MNN4, OB6

Learning Outcome: Learners will increase their knowledge of how trauma-informed principles and relational strategies can be used to support complex families in the NICU while promoting family engagement and clinician wellbeing.

Description: Families in the NICU often arrive carrying layers of medical, emotional, social, and historical complexity. These realities shape how families engage with care teams and how clinicians experience their work. Ms. Coughlin explores the NICU as a relational ecosystem where infant outcomes, family well-being, and clinician resilience are deeply interconnected. Grounded in trauma-informed developmental care, developmental neuroscience, and caring science, Ms. Coughlin reframes "complex families" through a trauma-informed lens that emphasizes safety, trust, voice, and belonging. Attendees will gain practical reframes and relational strategies to support families with compassion and clarity while sustaining themselves and their teams.

Release Date: 9/11/2026

Expiration Date: 9/30/2029

Requirements for Completion: Participants must be registered for the conference, attend at least 90% of each session, and complete evaluations to earn ANCC NCPD contact hours.

Disclosures: No person with the potential to influence the content of this activity has declared a relevant financial relationship with an ineligible* company. Any exceptions to this disclosure are noted below.

Accreditation

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*Ineligible companies are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

Track: Advanced Practice/Neonatal

Keywords: Trauma-Informed Care, Family-Centered Care, Complex Families, NICU Practice, Developmental Care, Caring Science, Relational Health, Clinician Wellbeing

Mary Coughlin, MS, NNP, NCC-E

President and Founder

Caring Essentials Collaborative, LLC

Mary E. Coughlin, MS, NCC-E is a neonatal nurse practitioner, internationally recognized speaker, educator, author, and creator of the Trauma-Informed Professional Certificate Program. She is the pioneering voice in Trauma-Informed Developmental Care (TIDC), integrating developmental neuroscience, relational health, and Caring Science to support infants, families, and clinicians across the NICU continuum. Through her writing, teaching, and global advocacy, Mary challenges healthcare professionals to reimagine neonatal care through the lenses of humanity, belonging, justice, and healing-centered practice.