By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    An Expert’s Guide To Building and Improving Endurance
    June 30, 2022
    medical assistants
    What Do Medical Assistants Do On a Day to Day Basis?
    April 5, 2022
    superfoods to help with prostate health
    10 Healthy Foods That Can Help Protect Your Prostate
    August 29, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Handling HIPAA Rules In Sports: Why Athlete Privacy Matters
    April 18, 2016
    Bioterrorism: Pentagon Goes Back to the Drawing Board
    August 23, 2017
    Anavex Receives Approval to Commence Phase I Clinical Trial in Alzheimer’s Disease
    September 9, 2017
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: 10 Lessons I’ve Learned from Premature Babies in the NICU
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Medical Education > 10 Lessons I’ve Learned from Premature Babies in the NICU
Medical Education

10 Lessons I’ve Learned from Premature Babies in the NICU

sueludwig
sueludwig
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

As a neonatal therapist, there is much to learn from practicing in the NICU. Our education and competence involve a breadth of medical and developmental knowledge. We learn from books, articles, mentors, colleagues, conferences, parents, and yes, the babies.

As a neonatal therapist, there is much to learn from practicing in the NICU. Our education and competence involve a breadth of medical and developmental knowledge. We learn from books, articles, mentors, colleagues, conferences, parents, and yes, the babies.

The information we learn outside of the NICU is vitally important. We can’t grow in our profession if we don’t seek out new evidence, practice, and skill. But we cannot overlook what we learn in every moment of interaction with the babies in the NICU.

Over time, these babies and their families have taught me more than I bargained for, more than I could’ve imagined.

More Read

The Perils of Early Closure
4 Barriers to Private Practice for Med School Graduates
Mayo Clinic Driving Innovation to Improve Quality
Colleges Prove the Huge Benefits of AI in Healthcare Education
Giving Interns More Sleep is Not Making Hospitals Safer

Here are the top 10 lessons I’ve learned from premature babies:

  1. Being born early does not mean less – less human, less valuable, less worthy. ONLY less prepared.
  2. Premature babies do communicate in an individual yet dependable manner. I’ve learned that we all communicate differently and much of that depends on where we started.
  3. Small and feisty goes a long way.
  4. Bright lights and loud noises are stressful. How many times have I driven home from work with the radio OFF for this reason? It can be stressful for us too, and we don’t live there.
  5. There is nothing better for a baby than loving connection with her mother and family.
  6. Eating should be an enjoyable experience. (I think we can all agree on this! ☺) I’ve learned to really observe the babies I feed. Are they enjoying this? It matters.
  7. Tenacity comes in many forms. Some weighing less than a pound. Who am I to think I can’t achieve something?
  8. We are far from understanding many things about premature babies. Just when we think they’re predictable, they’re not. Consistent, intentional observation is a massively important tool for clinicians and parents alike. Premature babies have taught me over and over that I cannot just go by the book.
  9. Comfort and sleep are priceless to healing.
  10. There are times for fighting and times for letting go. On the letting go days, I know only to go home and hug my own children in humble gratitude. Loss is a powerful instructor. Life is precious, yes. But it is hard to comprehend the gravity of that truth until we watch it slip away before our eyes.
  11. Ok, this is a bonus lesson because I just couldn’t help it! Fragility and strength are not necessarily opposites. Just look around the NICU. Fragility is often just strength’s first teacher.

Some of these lessons seem simple and intuitive, but can be lost at times in the environment of an intensive care unit. I have rarely witnessed a population of patients that inspire such loyalty in their caregivers. Across disciplines, the NICU team appears, in my experience, to love this work.

Maybe because we have the best teachers.

TAGGED:gratitudehealingNICUpremature babiesteach
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

The Cookie-Cutter Medicine Fallacy

June 8, 2012
benefits of getting ACLS certification
CareerMedical Education

5 Benefits Of Getting ACLS Certification And How It Helps Your Career

October 27, 2020

Engaging UCSF Residents in Quality, Safety, and Cost Reduction

May 15, 2012

Recruiting Patients for Studies Getting Easier

March 20, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?