Association News

New Consensus Statement on Essential Family Presence in the NICU

The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), the National Perinatal Association (NPA), and the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) have teamed up on a new consensus statement, Essential Care in the NICU during the COVID-19 Pandemic. As a whole, we recognize the unique challenges facing healthcare providers in reducing the risks of COVID-19 transmission while encouraging parent presence and engagement in care. We also re-affirm our commitment to delivering family-integrated care that promotes parent-infant attachment and supports parents' roles as primary caregivers for their infants. We believe NICU parents are "essential caregivers." Read the full consensus statement and view the accompanying infographic. 

For more details on NANN position and consensus statements, visit our statements page.

NANN Connections: Virtual Events for the Neonatal Nursing Community

We may be physically distanced from one another, but that doesn't mean we can't connect virtually as a community! We are excited to bring members together through our new member offering: NANN Connections. Throughout the year, NANN will host events to help you connect, network, and grow with other neonatal nurses.

Join us February 4, 2021, from 6 to 7:30 pm CST for our first NANN Connections event, Caring for the Caregiver. This virtual session will focus on self-care for neonatal nurses and include an instructor-led barre workout, stretches to do before and after your shift from a physical therapist, and group discussions on the best ways to make your self-care a priority.

This event is free to all neonatal nurses and APRNs, including those who aren't NANN members. Grab your coworkers and neonatal peers to take part in our first NANN Connections session via Zoom! Register for the event today.

Advocacy Update: Nursing Appropriation Wins

As part of the Nursing Community Coalition, NANN commends Congress for passing H.R. 133, the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which provides

• approximately $900 billion in COVID-19 relief funding
• $264.472 million for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Program, an increase of $4.5 million over 2020
• substantial support for nursing education and research.

Congratulations to registered nurse U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) on being named to serve on the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, responsible for funding the federal government's activities to keep the United States safe and invest in families and communities across the country. Through the 12 appropriations bills that the committee considers each year, committee members work on behalf of the American people by prioritizing quality health care, good schools, robust job training, affordable higher education, and better infrastructure.

A $100 Amazon gift card could be yours!

Did you know if you refer five new members who join NANN, you'll earn a $100 Amazon gift card? Completing a referral is quick and easy—sign into your NANN account, click on "My Account," and select "Refer a Friend." Enter your friend's email address to send them an email introducing them to NANN and sharing your referral. Or, use the items in NANN's Member Toolkit to share all the benefits of NANN. The more members you refer, the more Amazon gift cards you can earn!

TRIANN Chapter Update

Due to difficulties in finding new leadership, the Triangle Chapter of NANN (TRIANN) has decided to voluntarily close. Although the chapter will no longer be active, TRIANN members interested in staying involved with local chapters are encouraged to browse through our chapter listing to find an active chapter nearby.

NPA and NICU Parent Network's COVID-19 Educational Program

The National Perinatal Association and NICU Parent Network have teamed up to provide frontline health care professionals with an online educational program focused on coping with COVID-19. The program features two sessions targeted toward NICU providers—communications skills and providing emotional support to parents. These courses are available at no cost if no CEU is obtained, or for a small fee with CEU credit. Download the PDF about the program and learn how to sign up!

ANA Collaborates With Patient Safety Research to Conduct Nation-Wide Survey

ANA has partnered with the Patient Safety research group at Columbia University to conduct a nation-wide survey that seeks to capture unique patient safety events that have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their goal is to hear from providers throughout the United States in order to learn about the range of challenges that have arisen when providing patient care during the pandemic. As nurses who provide the bulk of front-line care, your responses are most valuable. This study has been approved by the IRB at Columbia University Medical Center. Participation is entirely voluntary. The survey is anonymous and is expected to take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete. Take the survey now!

NANN Footprints: Recent Stories and 2020 Winner

While all neonatal nurses have the same goal of providing the best care for their most fragile patients, every nurse has a different story to share about their work and its impact. NANN's Footprints gives NICU nurses a space to write about their experiences in the neonatal nursing world and share stories close to their hearts. Check out NANN's latest Footprints articles:

Harold with the Hair: Megan Watts, BSN RNC-NIC, truly has a special bond with Harold, one of her former NICU patients. In our November Footprints, Megan shares her heartfelt story of working with Harold and how their relationship has stayed strong.

A Not So Silent Night: In our December Footprints feature, Jamie Burt, RN BSN, poetically writes about the journey of two NICU twins under her watch during the holiday season. Although the twins were discharged at different times, Jamie details how both infants made it home happy and healthy.

Inspiration for Innovation: It's never easy when a neonate doesn't make it home from the NICU. Rebecca Koerner recalls a particular family's loss that motivated her to conduct new research on parental holding, so no parents have to hold their newborn for the last time.

A big congratulations to our 2020 Footprints author winner, Megan Watts, who received a 1-year extension on her NANN membership! Read her winner entry via the link above.

Interested in sharing your NICU narrative? We want to hear it! A NANN Footprints story should be relevant to neonatal nursing practice, relate to a baby's or family's experience, and/or describe the professional development of a neonatal nurse. Please e-mail Lindsey Baris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to share your interest in writing for Footprints!

Have you tuned into NANNcast?

Start streaming NANNcast, NANN's official podcast! NANNcast is committed to introducing listeners to hot topics in neonatology and the profession's brightest practitioners. Episodes can be streamed anywhere you listen to podcasts, at any time, making it one of the most convenient ways to augment your nursing education and development. Upcoming episodes will focus on how nurses can conduct their own research and evidence-based projects, stabilization of the surgical infant for transport to a children's hospital, and much more. Listen to the latest NANNcast episodes today!

Stay Warm this Winter in NANN Apparel

As the weather gets colder, make sure you're prepared for winter while showing off your NANN pride! The NANN Merch store has a growing variety of items to choose from to keep you cozy this winter—check out our NANN-branded sweatshirts, fleece jackets, beanies, sweatpants, and more! And don't forget to mask up with NANN's branded knit face masks.