Hospicing Modernity: Reimagining Care through Trauma-Informed Developmental Care and Caring Science

"To heal the future, we must hospice the present—releasing what no longer serves, embracing the discomfort of transformation, and daring to reimagine care as a sacred act of connection, humanity, and love." - Mary Coughlin

Hospicing Modernity

In her transformative work Hospicing Modernity, Vanessa Machado de Oliveira invites us to confront the limitations of our current systems—systems rooted in colonialism, consumerism, and individualism—and imagine new ways of being in relationship with ourselves, each other, and the world. Her concept of “hospicing” modernity is not about despair but about making space for what must end so something more life-giving can emerge.

This idea resonates deeply with the philosophy and practice of Trauma-Informed Developmental Care (TIDC) and Caring Science. Both frameworks seek to disrupt harmful paradigms and center care, connection, and healing as transformative acts. Together, these approaches create fertile ground for reimagining healthcare as a space where the humanity of patients, families, and clinicians is honored and nurtured.

Hospicing the NICU: Letting Go to Make Space for Healing

The NICU is a microcosm of modernity’s paradoxes: technological marvels that save lives coexist with systems that often unintentionally dehumanize care. The hustle and efficiency of modern healthcare can leave clinicians disconnected from their own wholeness, families feeling powerless, and babies vulnerable to trauma.

To hospice the modernity of the NICU is to acknowledge what no longer serves us. It’s recognizing that practices rooted in detachment, hierarchy, and urgency must be replaced with those grounded in presence, humility, and relationality. This shift isn’t easy—it requires us to let go of deeply ingrained habits and embrace discomfort as part of growth. But it is necessary if we are to create spaces where healing can truly flourish.

The Role of Trauma-Informed Developmental Care

TIDC provides a framework for this transformation by centering safety, trust, healthy relationships, empowerment, and equity in every interaction. Much like the call in Hospicing Modernity to sit with complexity and ambiguity, TIDC invites clinicians to lean into the discomfort of recognizing trauma—its presence in patients and families, and its reverberations within themselves. By doing so, we can co-create environments that buffer against harm and foster resilience.

In practice, this might look like:

• Reclaiming Time and Presence: Slowing down to honor the developmental rhythms of babies and the emotional needs of families.

• Centering Equity: Recognizing how systemic inequities shape health outcomes and working to address these barriers in meaningful ways.

• Empowering Families as Partners: Creating opportunities for parents to feel seen, heard, and valued as active participants in their child’s care.

Each of these actions represents a step toward dismantling harmful systems and replacing them with relationships that prioritize humanity over efficiency.

Caring Science: Holding Space for Emergence

Jean Watson’s Caring Science provides a philosophical foundation for this shift. At its heart, Caring Science is about honoring the sacred in caregiving—the spiritual, relational, and emotional dimensions of our work. It reminds us that care is not merely a task but a shared journey, an opportunity to connect at the level of soul and spirit.

When paired with Hospicing Modernity, Caring Science encourages us to hold space for what is emerging, even as we grieve what we are letting go. It invites us to cultivate curiosity, humility, and reverence, not just for the lives we touch but for the systems we are working to transform.

An Invitation to Reimagine Healthcare

What would it mean to hospice modernity in the NICU, in pediatric care, or in healthcare at large? What systems, practices, or mindsets do we need to release? And what might emerge in their place if we dared to center care, connection, and healing as our guiding principles?

The journey toward trauma-informed developmental care and Caring Science is not just about improving outcomes; it’s about reimagining the role of healthcare in society. It’s about becoming co-creators of a new story—one where love, trust, and humanity are the foundation of every interaction.

Let us take up this invitation to hospice what no longer serves us and nurture the emergence of something profoundly life-giving. In doing so, we honor the interconnectedness that Hospicing Modernity so powerfully reminds us of and bring new meaning to the art and science of care.

Reflective Questions

What systems or practices in your healthcare setting might you need to let go of to create space for deeper connection and healing? How can you integrate the principles of TIDC and Caring Science to begin this transformation? Let’s explore these questions together—because the future of care begins with the courage to imagine something new.

With love, light, and the courage to reimagine,
Mary

P.S. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post—what resonated with you, and how do you see these ideas showing up in your work or life? 🌱

And if you’re ready to join a community of change-makers reimagining care, consider becoming a Trauma-Informed Professional (TIP). Together, we can heal the future, one compassionate connection at a time. 💛

Learn more here: https://www.caringessentials.net/TIP-Certificate-Program