Quality of care of the preterm infant--the parent and nurse perspective

Validation of the Neonatal Satisfaction Survey (NSS-8) in six Norwegian neonatal intensive care units: a quantitative cross-sectional study

Background

The experience of having their new-borns admitted to an intensive care unit (NICU) can be extremely distressing. Subsequent risk of post-incident-adjustment difficulties are increased for parents, siblings, and affected families. Patient and next of kin satisfaction surveys provide key indicators of quality in health care. Methodically constructed and validated survey tools are in short supply and parents’ experiences of care in Neonatal Intensive Care Units is under-researched. This paper reports a validation of the Neonatal Satisfaction Survey (NSS-8) in six Norwegian NICUs.

Methods

Parents’ survey returns were collected using the Neonatal Satisfaction Survey (NSS-13). Data quality and psychometric properties were systematically assessed using exploratory factor analysis, tests of internal consistency, reliability, construct, convergent and discriminant validity. Each set of hospital returns were subjected to an apostasy analysis before an overall satisfaction rate was calculated.

Results

The survey sample of 568 parents represents 45% of total eligible population for the period of the study. Missing data accounted for 1,1% of all returns. Attrition analysis shows congruence between sample and total population. Exploratory factor analysis identified eight factors of concern to parents,“Care and Treatment”, “Doctors”, “Visits”, “Information”, “Facilities”, “Parents’ Anxiety”, “Discharge” and “Sibling Visits”. All factors showed satisfactory internal consistency, good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.70–0.94). For the whole scale of 51 items α 0.95. Convergent validity using Spearman’s rank between the eight factors and question measuring overall satisfaction was significant on all factors. Discriminant validity was established for all factors. Overall satisfaction rates ranged from 86 to 90% while for each of the eight factors measures of satisfaction varied between 64 and 86%.

Conclusion

The NSS-8 questionnaire is a valid and reliable scale for measuring parents’ assessment of quality of care in NICU. Statistical analysis confirms the instrument’s capacity to gauge parents’ experiences of NICU. Further research is indicated to validate the survey questionnaire in other Nordic countries and beyond.

Experiences of Fathers with Inpatient Premature Neonates: Phenomenological Interpretative Analysis

BACKGROUND

Birth and hospitalization of premature neonates create enormous challenges for the family with serious impacts on parents' mental and emotional health. The present study was designed to explore the experiences of fathers with premature neonates hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this interpretative phenomenological study, data were collected using in-depth interviews guided with a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed by interpretative phenomenological analysis. Totally seven interviews were conducted with six participants.

RESULTS

The mean age of the fathers was 32 (23-42) years, and all of the fathers lived with their wives. Experiences of the fathers were categorized into 13 subordinate and three superordinate themes: "abandonment and helplessness" (lack of financial support, lack of informational support, and indignation and distrust toward the hospital staffs); "anxiety and confusion" (family disruption, shock due to the premature birth of the neonate, uncertainty, the loss of wishes, feeling of guilt and blame, and occupational disruption); and "development and self-actualization" (emotional development, spiritual development, independence and self-efficacy, and responsibility).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study showed that the fathers with premature neonates hospitalized in NICU encounter both positive (development and self-actualization) and negative experiences (lack of financial and informational supports, distrusting toward the hospital staffs, family disruption, and occupational disruption). Planning to manage adverse experiences can help fathers to cope with this situation.

Soutien social et expérience paternelle des pères de nouveau-nés prématurés

Cadre de la recherche : Plusieurs études ont montré que le vécu parental lors d’une naissance prématurée peut être de nature traumatique avec un impact sur la qualité de la relation parent-enfant (Lindberg, Axelsson et Ohrling, 2008). Cependant, force est de constater que les processus en jeu chez le père restent relativement inexplorés.

Objectifs : L’objectif de cette étude exploratoire est de développer un modèle de compréhension de l’expérience paternelle de nouveau-nés prématurés. Celle-ci est appréhendée par la relation avec le nourrisson (Blomqvist et al., 2012 ; Helth et Jarden, 2013) et l’expérience du devenir père (Zaouche Gaudron et al., 2003 ; Zaouche Gaudron et al., 2005) mais également par la relation avec l’équipe soignante (Fegran et Helseth, 2009). La gravité de la prématurité est également examinée (Ibanez et al., 2006).

Méthodologie : L’échantillon se compose de 48 pères de bébés prématurés. Un entretien semi-directif basé sur le Clinical Interview for Parents of High Risk Infants (Meyer et al., 1993) a été adapté et utilisé pour le recueil de données. Les axes réfèrent à la grossesse de la conjointe, à l’accouchement, à la relation avec le nourrisson et au soutien social.

Résultats : Nos principaux résultats indiquent que les pères construisent un premier lien avec leur bébé par le contact du peau-à-peau et par l’accordage du regard. Ils témoignent, par ailleurs, d’un vécu traumatique lié à la prématurité décrit par des sentiments ambivalents, comme la peur, le stress mais également le bonheur. La source la plus importante de soutien social, hormis la famille, est l’équipe soignante et les autres parents dans le service.

Conclusions : Les principales conclusions permettent d’amener des propositions quant aux pratiques professionnelles afin de soutenir le processus de paternalisation dans ce contexte particulier de prématurité.

Contribution : Dans une approche qualitative, cette étude apporte un éclairage concernant l’expérience paternelle dans le contexte particulier qu'est la prématurité du nouveau-né.

The Needs of Parents of Preterm Infants in Iran and a Comparison With Those in Other Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Context

Proper accountability to needs of preterm infants’ parents requires recognition of these needs and how they change in different conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the needs of parents of preterm infants in Iran, as compared to those in other regions in the world.

Evidence Acquisition

A search of Iranian databases (Iran Medex, Magiran, and SID) and international resources (PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar) was conducted, with no time limitations, to 5 October 2014. Using standard tools, all quantitative studies that considering the parental needs of preterm infants and parental support were extracted. The STROBE checklist was used for the evaluation of the studies. Thirty-one studies were extracted in the qualitative evaluation, of which 17 were included in the meta-analysis. The variance between the studies was analyzed using tau-squared (Tau²) and review manager 5 software.

Results

The results obtained using the nurse-parent support tool (NPST) showed that mothers considered that all the fields of support were of great importance. The parental needs in Iran were similar to those of parents in other regions worldwide. However, the mean score for Iranian parents’ assessment of the support they received was 2.20 ± 0.06, whereas it was 3.84 ± 0.72 for other countries. The mean scores for parents’ assessment of the provision of emotional, informational appraisal, and instrumental support in Iran were 1.73 ± 0.06, 2.1 ± 0.06, 1.54 ± 0.6, and 3.44 ± 0.04, respectively, compared to 3.18 ± 1.34, 4.11 ± 0.5, 4.26 ± 0.18, and 4.51 ± 0.14, respectively, in other countries.

Conclusions

Parents always prefer the priorities of their babies to their individual needs. Given the lower scores for the parental assessment of received support in Iran, it is important to focus on these specific items in providing interventions to meet the needs of Iranian parents.

Relationship between parent-infant attachment and parental satisfaction with supportive nursing care

Background:

Parent–infant attachment is an important factor in accepting parenting role, accelerating infant survival, and adjusting to the environment outside the uterus. Since family supportive interventions can strengthen the parent–infant caring relationship, this study sought to investigate the relationship between mother–infant attachment and satisfaction of the mothers with the supportive nursing care received in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Materials and Methods:

In this descriptive–correlational study, 210 mothers with premature infants who were hospitalized in the NICUs affiliated to Isfahan Medical University hospitals took part. The data were collected via Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale and researcher's self-tailored questionnaire based on Nurse Parent Support Tool. Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the collected data.

Results:

The results showed that the overall score of mother–infant attachment and the overall score of maternal satisfaction correlated with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.195. Also, the overall score of mother–infant attachment and mothers’ satisfaction scores in the emotional, communicative-informative, and self-confidence domains correlated with correlation coefficients of r = 0.182, r = 0.0.189, and r = 0.0.304, respectively. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that about 15% of changes in the dependent variable (mother–infant attachment) could be explained by different dimensions of mothers’ satisfaction.

Conclusions:

The results of the study showed that mother–infant attachment improved by increasing mothers’ satisfaction of supportive nursing care. Therefore, it seems necessary to increase maternal satisfaction through given nursing care support, in order to promote mother–infant attachment.

The effectiveness of a brief intervention for emotion-focused nurse-parent communication

OBJECTIVE

A child's hospitalization is stressful for both the children and their parents. Nurse-parent communication during stressful hospitalizations requires skilled nurse communicators. Brief methods of training emotion-focused communication for newly licensed nurses are needed, but as yet are rare. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a validated brief communication training (Four Habits Model) session using simulation for newly licensed pediatric nurses.

METHODS

Quantitative and qualitative methods provided data for this experimental study, using a group-by-trials repeated measures ANOVA design. The intervention group participated in a 1-h three-part education simulation session and the control group observed a 1-h video.

RESULTS

Compared with the controls, the intervention group improved significantly in four of five areas: preparation, communication skills, relationships, and confidence. Experience level had minimal effect. Over half of the nurses in the intervention group reported using one or more of the Four Habits in clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study suggest that a 1-h Four Habits communication-training program improves newly licensed nurses' self-perception of their preparation for emotion-focused conversations with parents.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The findings of this study suggest that the Four Habits Model can be useful in communication training with nurses.

Conditions for parents' participation in the care of their child in neonatal intensive care - a field study

BACKGROUND

To promote participation by parents in the care of their child in neonatal intensive care units (NICU), health professionals need better understanding of what facilitates and what obstructs participation. The aim was to elucidate conditions for parents' participation in the care of their child in NICUs.

METHODS

A field study with a hermeneutic lifeworld approach was used and data were collected at two NICUs through participative observations and interviews with representatives of management, staff and parents.

RESULTS

The results point to a number of contradictions in the way parents were offered the opportunity to participate in neonatal intensive care. Management and staff both had good ambitions to develop ideal care that promoted parent participation. However, the care including the conditions for parental participation was driven by the terms of the staff, routines focusing on the medical-technical care and environment, and budgetary constraints.

CONCLUSION

The result shows that tangible strategies need to be developed in NICUs aimed at optimising conditions for parents to be present and involved in the care of their child.

Parent experiences of paediatric care (PEPC) questionnaire: reliability and validity following a national survey

AIM

To describe the development and evaluation of a parent completed questionnaire to measure parent experiences of inpatient paediatric care, the parent experiences of paediatric care (PEPC).

METHODS

Literature review, parent interviews, pre-testing and a national survey of 6144 parents of children who were inpatients at one of the 20 paediatric departments within Norway in 2005.

RESULTS

Three thousand three hundred and eight (53.8%) parents responded to the questionnaire. Low levels of missing data suggest that the PEPC is acceptable. The questionnaire includes six scales as supported by the results of factor analysis: nursing services (seven items), doctor services (five items), organisation (four items), information--examinations and tests (two items), information--discharge (three items) and hospital facilities (four items). Cronbach's alpha and test-retest correlations ranged from 0.7 to 0.9. Comparisons of scale scores with several variables including overall satisfaction with care and pain control, supported validity.

CONCLUSION

The PEPC questionnaire includes important aspects of hospital care from the perspective of the parent. It has good evidence for internal consistency, test-retest reliability and validity and is recommended in surveys of parent experiences of paediatric inpatient care.