Presenter:

Dr. Vittner’s background of 30 years in Neonatal/Perinatal nursing and research focuses on the  care of high-risk infants and families. Dr Vittner is a process-oriented thinker, dedicated to innovative solutions to enhance learning  that upholds the personhood of individuals. Dorothy’s professional responsibilities have focused on infant neurobehavioral functioning and training multidisciplinary healthcare professionals on infant behavior and neurodevelopment to improve outcomes for high-risk infants. She is a sought after educator and dynamic speaker.

Dr Vittner’s leadership to influence care of infants and families is recognized through the NIDCAP (Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program) Federation International (NFI), Board of Directors currently serving as Vice-President. The NFI is an international multidisciplinary professional organization that provides training and mentorship to healthcare organizations and professionals. Dorothy is a Senior NIDCAP Trainer and holds many certifications in various infant/early childhood neurobehavioral assessments.

Dorothy has a longstanding interest in reflective process implementation to support healthcare professionals’ emotional well-being and functioning with repeated and prolonged stress exposure. Her research has focused on understanding how stress and burnout influence health care professionals decision making to implement family-centered care practices.

Dorothy received a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education from University of Hartford and a PhD from the University of Connecticut. Dorothy has published many book chapters and manuscripts in peer-review journals and has lectured around the world. Dorothy currently holds a position as an Assistant Professor at Fairfield University, Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies and at Connecticut Children’s in the NICU. Her research focuses on examining bio-behavioral mechanisms, specifically the role oxytocin and cortisol in modulating premature infants’ behavioral, autonomic and stress responses utilizing individualized developmental care strategies to enhance parent engagement.

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