Antrim neonatal nurse inspired by premature daughter celebrates PhD success

Victoria Craig pictured with her daughter Catherine

A neonatal nurse whose daughter was born almost 12 weeks early has transformed her experience as a parent into a career supporting babies and families — and research that could help others cope with the trauma of neonatal care.

Victoria Craig, Neonatal Clinical Educator at Antrim Area Hospital, graduated from Queen’s University earlier this year with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Her research examined practical techniques that could help reduce symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress among parents whose babies require neonatal care.

‘Less than a bag of sugar’

Victoria’s journey began 20 years ago when her daughter, Catherine, was born at just over 28 weeks and weighed only 975 grams.

“My daughter was born roughly 12 weeks early, weighing 975 grams, less than a bag of sugar. She is now 20 and has never looked back,” Victoria said.

Catherine spent her first weeks in hospital in Belfast before being transferred to the Neonatal Unit at Antrim Area Hospital. After almost 10 weeks of neonatal care, she was finally able to go home with her family.

The experience had a profound effect on Victoria and ultimately inspired her to dedicate her working life to the unit that had helped give her daughter the best possible start.

“When I first applied for the job here, I felt I had something to give back because I had such a positive experience as a parent. I felt like I could return that favour and help support other parents in the same situation,” she said.

Supporting families and neonatal staff

Over the past two decades, Victoria has built a career caring for families and educating healthcare professionals working within neonatal services.

As Neonatal Clinical Educator at Antrim Area Hospital, she works with staff, students and parents to support the delivery of high-quality care throughout the unit.

“Working as a Clinical Educator, I support the educational needs of staff, parents and students. This involves lots of work at the bedside and cot side, as well as policy development and other initiatives that help staff deliver the best care we can to our families.”

Victoria’s personal experience also shaped her doctoral research, which explored how parents could be supported through the psychological impact of having a baby admitted to neonatal care.

“Being in the neonatal unit can be a traumatic experience. Watching your baby go through procedures and then having to go home every evening without them can be really traumatic,” she explained.

Research into reducing trauma symptoms

Victoria Craig pictured after graduating with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Queen’s University.

Victoria’s PhD examined interventions intended to reduce symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress.

Her study compared the use of the “butterfly hug” and “safe calm place” techniques with playing the computer game Tetris, assessing whether they could provide feasible forms of support for parents within neonatal units.

The butterfly hug involves crossing the arms so that each hand rests on the opposite collarbone, then gently tapping for between 30 and 40 seconds while focusing on a place associated with feelings of safety and calm.

The approach aims to reduce the emotional intensity attached to traumatic memories and potentially lessen symptoms linked to post-traumatic stress.

Victoria’s work contributes to a growing understanding that neonatal care can have a lasting emotional impact upon parents. It also underlines the importance of supporting families psychologically while medical teams care for their babies.

‘A great sense of job satisfaction’

Despite her academic achievement, Victoria said the most rewarding part of her role remains seeing babies she has helped care for return to the hospital as they grow and thrive.

“The most rewarding part is seeing babies when they come up after a clinical appointment, and you see how well they have come on and how big they have grown. It just makes you feel a great sense of job satisfaction that it was a job well done.”

Shirley Montgomery, Lead Paediatric Nurse, congratulated Victoria on completing her doctorate and praised the contribution she continues to make within neonatal services.

“We are all immensely proud of Victoria - her dedication and commitment truly stand out, and her passion for neonatal care is clearly reflected in her work.

“Victoria’s personal experience, combined with her professional expertise and academic achievement, enables her to make an invaluable contribution to the care and support provided to babies and families within our neonatal services.”

Twenty years after Catherine began life weighing less than a bag of sugar, Victoria’s experience has come full circle: from a mother supported through one of the most difficult periods a parent can face to a nurse, educator and researcher helping other families through the same uncertain journey.