Anna Serlachius1, Jessica Hames1, Vanessa Juth2, Dale Garton3, Simon Rowley3, Keith J Petrie1. 1. Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. 2. Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States. 3. Newborn Service, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
Abstract
AIM: It has been increasingly recognised that family-centred care (FCC) is associated with enhanced well-being for both parents and infants in paediatric settings, including the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Over the past 4 years, our NICU has increasingly adopted a collaborative philosophy of care. The purpose of the study was to examine parental experiences of FCC during both the admission and discharge time points in order to examine differences in parents' experiences and identify areas for improvement. METHODS: We conducted interviews at two time points (admission and discharge) with 83 parents (mothers and fathers) of premature and medically fragile infants and analysed the data using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three key themes (and sub-themes) were identified: disempowerment, hierarchy between parents and staff and the father's peripheral role. The themes were equally prevalent across admission and discharge. CONCLUSIONS: The challenges relating to FCC reported by parents at both admission and discharge represent some of the key barriers that parents still face in terms of being truly involved in the care of their infant in the NICU. Similar themes at both time points suggest that parents need equal amounts of support during their stay in NICU, irrespective of the level of care the infant is receiving and whether they are approaching discharge. Implications for improving FCC more generally are discussed.
AIM: It has been increasingly recognised that family-centred care (FCC) is associated with enhanced well-being for both parents and infants in paediatric settings, including the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Over the past 4 years, our NICU has increasingly adopted a collaborative philosophy of care. The purpose of the study was to examine parental experiences of FCC during both the admission and discharge time points in order to examine differences in parents' experiences and identify areas for improvement. METHODS: We conducted interviews at two time points (admission and discharge) with 83 parents (mothers and fathers) of premature and medically fragile infants and analysed the data using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three key themes (and sub-themes) were identified: disempowerment, hierarchy between parents and staff and the father's peripheral role. The themes were equally prevalent across admission and discharge. CONCLUSIONS: The challenges relating to FCC reported by parents at both admission and discharge represent some of the key barriers that parents still face in terms of being truly involved in the care of their infant in the NICU. Similar themes at both time points suggest that parents need equal amounts of support during their stay in NICU, irrespective of the level of care the infant is receiving and whether they are approaching discharge. Implications for improving FCC more generally are discussed.
Authors: Erika Baraldi; Mara Westling Allodi; Ann-Charlotte Smedler; Björn Westrup; Kristina Löwing; Ulrika Ådén Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-12-13 Impact factor: 3.390