Encouraging Our NICU to "Read-a-Latte": Leveraging a Read-a-Thon to Launch a Quality Improvement Initiative.
Marina Latif, Ana Paula Duarte Ribeiro, Mary Ann Blatz and 6 others
PMID 36322927WHAT IT FOUND
A 10-day NICU read-a-thon recorded 663 reading sessions.
Nurses and parents reported improved morale and a sense of normalcy, while barriers included time constraints and lack of book storage.
Key findings
01Staff and parents reported that the event boosted morale and helped parents regain a sense of control and normalcy during the pandemic.
02The primary barriers to sustaining the program were staff time constraints and inadequate book storage locations.
03The initiative successfully launched a year-round Reach Out and Read program by identifying key implementation elements like process maps and volunteer roles.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The evaluation relied on self-reported reading sessions via paper tickets without visual verification, which may overestimate actual reading time. Staff feedback was limited to 12 nurses, representing less than 10% of the staff, potentially missing broader perspectives. The project was conducted under strict COVID-19 visitor restrictions, which altered typical volunteer and family participation patterns. This was a quality improvement report, not a controlled trial, so it cannot determine if the reading sessions caused any developmental benefits.
Declared interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the 663 reading sessions or the positive morale reports as evidence that this intervention improves infant language outcomes or reduces burnout. The study measured process and perception, not clinical efficacy.