scholarly journals Nurses’ view of the nature of the support given to parents in the neonatal intensive care unit

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syazwana Mohd. Sidek ◽  
Sofiah Marup ◽  
Yusrita Zolkefli

Background: Most parents of Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) babies often expressed dissatisfaction with the nursing care in NICU because of their unaddressed needs, resulting in emotional strain. This raises an essential question of how NICU nurses provide support for the parents. However, this can be relatively challenging in the NICU setting. Objective: To explore nurses’ views on the nature of parental support provided in NICU settings in Brunei Darussalam. Methods: This study employed a qualitative research approach conducted in 2020. Ten nurses were individually interviewed in semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results:  Three broad themes were identified, namely: (1) Emotional and informational support (2) Keeping the support going (3) Seeking help from others. The data provide insights into how nurses provide emotional and informational support to parents in the NICU setting. Challenges were encountered in providing support and were addressed through the involvement of the doctors and emotional support continuity by nursing colleagues. Conclusion: This paper describes two critical supports given to the parents in the NICU setting and the challenges that underline these supports and proposes strategies used by nurses to help the parents. The balance needed between work demand and parental support is highlighted. In order to give more robust parental support, ongoing interactions with doctors and nursing colleagues are required.  

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1507-1515
Author(s):  
Lauren L. Madhoun ◽  
Robert Dempster

Purpose Feeding challenges are common for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While sufficient oral feeding is typically a goal during NICU admission, this can be a long and complicated process for both the infant and the family. Many of the stressors related to feeding persist long after hospital discharge, which results in the parents taking the primary role of navigating the infant's course to ensure continued feeding success. This is in addition to dealing with the psychological impact of having a child requiring increased medical attention and the need to continue to fulfill the demands at home. In this clinical focus article, we examine 3 main areas that impact psychosocial stress among parents with infants in the NICU and following discharge: parenting, feeding, and supports. Implications for speech-language pathologists working with these infants and their families are discussed. A case example is also included to describe the treatment course of an infant and her parents in the NICU and after graduation to demonstrate these points further. Conclusion Speech-language pathologists working with infants in the NICU and following hospital discharge must realize the family context and psychosocial considerations that impact feeding progression. Understanding these factors may improve parental engagement to more effectively tailor treatment approaches to meet the needs of the child and family.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Gaspar ◽  
S Yohasenan ◽  
F Haslbeck ◽  
D Bassler ◽  
V Kurtcuoglu ◽  
...  

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