UNMC doctoral student studies trauma in NICU mothers

As a nurse in an Omaha hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, Morgan Staver witnessed just how difficult a sick baby’s prolonged hospital stay could be for families, who often cycled through feelings of guilt and worry. 

"There was a lot of anxiety, trauma, post-traumatic stress, just a lot of other mental health issues that we weren't necessarily able to catch," she said. "I decided that I wanted to be a person who would be driving the research that drives the evidence-based care. With that, I’d be able to have a bigger reach."

Staver, a doctoral student in nursing at UNMC, currently is researching the mental health struggles of mothers whose babies required a stay in the NICU. Her study, which she hopes will lead to more recognition of maternal distress and improvements in mental health screening and referral practices, is funded by the Graduate Scholars Program at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska.

"Having worked as a NICU nurse, Morgan has a unique perspective," said Tiffany Moore, PhD, one of Staver’s faculty mentors and an associate professor at UNMC’s College of Nursing. "This project funded by the Graduate Scholars Program will be the critical foundation to build her program of research to address maternal distress from NICU hospitalizations."

The application period for the 2022-23 Graduate Scholars program is now open, with submissions due March 31. The Buffett Institute offers the one-year fellowship, with funding up to $25,000, to doctoral students affiliated with the University of Nebraska System whose research touches on the development, education, and well-being of young children. View application materials

"We’re looking for innovative project ideas, including from fields that aren’t traditionally represented in early childhood research," said Greg Welch, the Buffett Institute’s associate director of research and evaluation.

Staver is using the funding to gather data, like how common conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD are among mothers whose babies spent at least two weeks in the NICU. She’s also conducting interviews with nearly two dozen women who describe their sleepless nights and feelings of helplessness.

"I’m just amazed by the strength of these women and the bravery of them to share their experiences," Staver said. "(They) are wanting and eager to participate, because they want to make sure that people who are in their position in the future don't have to suffer."