The WIN Program

In the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU), the air is thick with the rhythmic beep of monitors and the high-stakes tension of newborn heart surgery. For parents, this environment often triggers a "survival mode" that can lead to long-term post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression.

But for Melissa B. Jones, Ph.D. ’26, CPNP-AC, the clinical focus on the infant’s heart was only half of the equation. Her groundbreaking research proves that by supporting the "heart" of the family unit, we can fundamentally change the trajectory of a child’s development.

Filling the Support Gap: The WIN Program

Melissa’s dissertation centered on the feasibility and acceptability of the What I Need (WIN) program—a nurse-led, individualized support intervention for parents of newborns. The program consists of three in-person sessions designed to provide emotional support, strengthen parent-infant bonding, and support the parental role in PCICU

"We know that parents of infants who require heart surgery are at risk for psychological distress," Melissa explains. "Additionally, that distress is associated with a higher risk of adverse child neurodevelopmental outcomes."

The results of her Phase I pilot study were nothing short of a "win." Out of 32 parents enrolled, the vast majority completed the program and gave it a resounding endorsement:

• 100% of parents agreed the program reduced their distress and was easy to understand.
• 92% reported feeling closer to their baby after the sessions.
• 100% of bedside nurses indicated the program did not interfere with routine clinical care.

Perhaps most significantly, the data showed measurable psychological shifts. Stress scores dropped significantly, as did symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The ‘Tip of the Spear’: The Power of the Nursing Lens

For Melissa, the journey from nurse to nurse-scientist was a lesson in the unique value of the nursing perspective. She describes nurses as being at the "tip of the spear" in healthcare delivery—positioned closer to the patient experience than any other provider.

"Nurses are well-positioned to identify gaps in care and opportunities to better support families," Melissa says. "Leaning into clinical curiosity elevates nurses' voices to shape how care is designed and delivered."

This frontline perspective allowed Melissa to see that mothers often carry a different weight than fathers; her study found that mothers reported significantly higher levels of stress at baseline. By identifying these nuances, the WIN program can provide targeted, practical solutions that are immediately applicable to the bedside.

The Next Big Question: Healing the Whole Family

With her dissertation successfully defended, Melissa’s next goal is to scale the WIN program by training additional PCICU nurses to deliver the intervention, ensuring that parental well-being becomes a standard component of cardiac care.

Her big question for the future involves integrating the care of pediatric patients with their entire family unit. She views a child’s illness as a pebble dropped in a pond, creating ripple effects that touch parents, siblings, and extended family members.

"Supporting the well-being of the family unit during pediatric hospitalization holds the promise of a brighter future for the child," she notes. Melissa hopes to inspire a new generation of nurse researchers to embrace structured curiosity, proving that a nurse’s innovative idea today can become the evidence-based practice of tomorrow.