WEBVTT

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[MEGAN] Hi, Jennifer. Welcome.
[JENNIFER NIEHEISER] Thank you.

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[JENNIFER NIEHEISER]
I love my job so much

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because of families like this.

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It's rewarding to see
how the babies do

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and see it all come together.

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My name is Jennifer Nieheiser.

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I am a registered nurse case manager
in the Optum NRS program.

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NRS stands for
Neonatal Resource Services.

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I reach out to families
who either have had babies

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that have been admitted
to neonatal ICU

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or babies that receive
a higher level of care

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than newborn nursery,

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and we offer them
the support of our program.

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I never expected
to have a baby in ICU.

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Around 26 weeks pregnant,

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I started not feeling great,

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so I went straight to see my doctor
and they admitted me that day.

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My son came home at five pounds,

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so he was pretty small.

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It's one of the things
I say early on,

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when I speak with parents.

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I let them know
that I have experienced it,

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not just as a nurse,
but as a parent.

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And I do feel like that typically
makes things go more smoothly,

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knowing that they have someone
that understands.

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[baby babbling]

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This program makes a difference.

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[MEGAN] So being a mom
with a new baby,

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everybody wants to give advice.

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So what was different here
was having somebody say,

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almost like, I see you,
and that was really nice.

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Because of Jennifer's experience
being a nurse

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and also having a NICU baby,

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as we got to know each other better,

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it felt like a safe
and supportive space

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to talk about experiences.

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[JENNIFER NIEHEISER]
I think babies are

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just precious and beautiful,

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so I enjoy just caring for them
and being around them.

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Happy families, happy babies.

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That's the best part.

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[music fading]