2023 • Developmental Observer • 13 A B S T R A C T — N I D C A P T R A I N E R S M E E T I N G 2 0 2 3 Hasanpour M1, Gorgani Firozjaee F2, Shariat SV3, Esmaeilnia Shirvani T4, Kazemnejad A5 1Ph.D. and Professor of Nursing, NIDCAP Professional, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2MSc of NICN, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 3Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Mental Health Research Center, Social Injury Prevention Research Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 4Associate Professor of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Vali-Asr Hospital, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 5 Professor of Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. DOI: 10.14434/do.v16i1.35775 Background The main roles of nurses are not only to inform about the disease and treatment of the patient but also to establish an effective therapeutic relationship to address concerns, and provide empathy, comfort, and support. This issue is very prominent in newborn intensive care units (NICUs) and doubles the impor- tance of empathetic communication between nurses and parents and promoting empathy skills in nurses working in NICUs. Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of empathy-en- abling programs on nurses' empathy and nurse-parent commu- nication from the perspective of nurses. Methods This cluster randomized trial (CRT) study was performed with the participation of 64 nurses working in NICUs by convenience sampling method. The participants in both groups completed a three-part pre-test questionnaire: a) demographic, b) empathy and c) nurse-parent communication. The intervention was held as online training sessions in the BigBlueButton. The empa- thy-enabling program was in the form of two-hour interactive lectures on the topic of empathy and empathetic communica tion skills, in addition to videos, video clips, readings, and practic- ing scenarios. Discussions were conducted for the intervention group and the control group did not receive any training. Finally, participants in both groups completed the post-tests question- naires again immediately and one month after the intervention. Data were then analyzed using an independent t-test, repeated measures analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coeffi- cient test using SPSS software version 16. Results The results of the independent t-test showed that the mean score of nurse-parent empathy before and immediately after the intervention in the two groups was not statistically sig- nificant, but one month after the intervention this difference in the two groups of control (100.96±13.31) and intervention (110.08±15.07) was statistically significant (P = 0.018). Also, the results of the analysis of variance with repeated measures did not show a statistically significant difference in the empathy score of the control group during different times, but for the mean nurse-parent empathy score during different times in the intervention group, this difference was significant (P = 0.032). In addition, the results of the independent t-test revealed that the mean score of nurse-parent communication before, immedi- ately and one month after the intervention was not significantly different between the control and intervention groups. Also, the results of the analysis of variance with repeated measures during different times did not show a statistically significant difference for the intervention group in terms of nurse-parent commu- nication score. However, the results of the Pearson correlation coefficient test showed a significant positive linear relationship between NICU nurses’ empathy scores and nurse-parent com- munication scores, at three times (P<0.001, R = 0.779). Relevance to NIDCAP The NIDCAP model of care is one of the current priorities of the Neonatal Health Office in the Ministry of Health in Iran and many other countries that emphasize the increasing presence of parents in NICUs and support for them by staff. Parents are one of the essential components of the NIDCAP model and need empathetic communication. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the importance of teaching empathetic communication and the role of empathy in nurse-parent com- munication, should be more prominent. As the importance of the presence and support of parents in NICUs implementing the NIDCAP model of care, researchers are recommending the use of practical methods to recognize empathetic communication challenges and teach empathy to nurses despite the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic crisis and the subsequent possible chal- lenges in nurse-parent communication. Also, the authors recom- mend that empathetic communication skills should be included in formal and informal training programs for nurses and nursing students working in newborn intensive care units. The Effect of the Empathy Enabling Program on the Nurses’ Empathy and Nurse-Parent Communication in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit