Bridging classroom and practice: NICU simulation training for doctoral students

Roughly 1 in 10 infants are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and this number has been on the rise in recent years (Martin & Osterman, 2025). Working in the NICU is considered an advanced practice area in occupational therapy. Occupational therapists (OTs) often work with infants in that unit to support their sensory systems, positioning, feeding, and developmental skills (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2018; de Castro, 2022). However, it is important to expose occupational therapy students to this setting to further their education.