NICU nurse’s care grows into a lasting family bond
For nurse practitioner Rebecca Chuffo Davila, DNP, ARNP, caring for her NICU patients and their families has resulted in life-long family bonds that go beyond hospital walls.
As soon as she laid eyes on them, Rebecca Chuffo Davila, DNP, ARNP, felt an immediate connection to two new parents whose twins were born prematurely. They were staying in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at UI Health Care’s university campus.
“We looked at each other, and it was instant. I knew I had to take care of the parents, and the babies,” Chuffo Davila says.
After 40 years as a neonatal nurse practitioner, Chuffo Davila has learned that caring for families extends far beyond medicine. She strives to build personal connections with parents, knowing that having a child in the NICU is one of the most frightening experiences they will ever face. In the NICU, tiny lives depend not only on advanced medicine, but also on compassion, trust, and the gentlest acts of humanity.
The twins had been born during an emergency delivery at another hospital an hour away. Fragile, fighting, and impossibly small, they were stabilized before being transported to the university campus, where Chuffo Davila cares for premature and high-risk babies.
Far from home and overwhelmed by the uncertainty of the NICU, the parents rarely left their children's bedside. Among the steady hum of monitors and soft beeps of medical equipment, Chuffo Davila quickly became a source of comfort. She understood that while the NICU's patients are its tiniest infants, caring for them also means caring for the people who love them.
Caring for the whole family
Chuffo Davila's instinct to connect deeply is shaped by decades of practice and research. Since coming to Iowa in 2003, her research has focused on postpartum depression, first in mothers, and later expanding to fathers. Her partnership with psychologist Lisa Segre, PhD, a professor in the UI’s College of Nursing, introduced her to “listening visits” — a simple, profoundly impactful technique rooted in empathy, presence, and nonjudgmental support.
“It’s just genuine listening and concern,” Chuffo Davila explains. “And it makes a world of difference.”
She practiced this philosophy long before it had a name, sitting beside parents through fear, grief, guilt, and the overwhelming responsibility of caring for a medically fragile newborn. She recognized the quiet trauma many NICU parents carry and reminded them that vulnerability isn't a weakness and that asking for support is part of caring for their child.
That philosophy shaped the relationship she built with this family. After months in the NICU, the twins were finally healthy enough to go home together, but Chuffo Davila's role in their lives didn't end.
She stayed in touch with the family, visited the twins, and, in a remarkable coincidence, eventually became their neighbor when the parents purchased a home nearby. Over the past two years, she has celebrated birthdays and milestones, watched the twins grow, and even babysat from time to time. When one of the twins experienced ongoing health complications that required additional hospital stays, Chuffo Davila remained a trusted source of support for both the children and their parents.
As a result of the strong connection she formed with the family, Chuffo-Davila received a DAISY Award after being nominated by the parents. In their nomination, the parents shared their appreciation for Chuffo Davila and noted they also felt the familial connection.
“Being so far from our own family (15 hours by plane) has made this time feel especially isolating,” they wrote. “Yet, Rebecca’s support has made us feel less alone. Her thoughtful gestures, even when she is off duty, and her genuine concern for our well-being have been a source of great comfort. She has become like family to us, offering not only professional expertise but also emotional support that has been critical in helping us cope with the challenges of being with our babies 24/7. She has truly been an angel with wings during this time.”
The close bond that has been formed is not unusual for Chuffo Davila. She’s kept in touch with many parents over the years — including NICU babies who are now adults and living happy, healthy lives.
“Christmastime is great when I get all the cards and get to see pictures of my ‘families’,” Chuffo Davila muses.
An experienced practitioner with a heart of gold, Chuffo Davila sums up her approach to care simply: “To show a ray of hope or sunshine…I think that’s what most families need.”
