A qualitative study of the comfort care experience from the perceptions of health care providers providing care for terminally ill infants in neonatal intensive care unit at the end of life

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to describe the comfort care experiences of health care providers at the NICU at end of life. Designand Method: The study used a qualitative phenomenological approach, to collect data from 20 health care providers (nurses and physicians) who were selected purposively from the NICUs settings in three Jordanian hospitals utilizing semi-structured interviews. The data was recorded and analyzed thematically. ResultsFour distinct themes captured the comfort care experiences of health care providers: (1) Reality vs. Hope, (2) Beliefs and Emotions, (3) Provision of Comfort Care, (4) Passion of Attachment. ConclusionThe finding of the study indicated that the experience of the health care providers was very stressful and challenging. There was a lack of prior education on comfort care and a lack of comfort care policies to provide quality comfort care. This study supports need for adjustments in staffing to meet the complex needs of terminally ill infants at the NICU.