Assessment of Nursing Care Provided to Premature Neonates at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Zagazig University Children Hospital

Abstract

Premature neonate who is born before 37th week of gestation, having one or morecomplication and is treated in the neonatal intensive care unit. Neonatal intensive care unit isa healthcare unit designed for critically or seriously ill neonates who are unable tocommunicate their needs or who require deliberate planned observation, and highly skillednursing care. The aim of the present study was to assess nursing care provided to prematureneonate at neonatal intensive care unit at Zagazig University Children Hospital. A descriptivedesign was utilized in the present study. The study was conducted at Neonatal Intensive CareUnit at Zagazig University Children Hospital. The study subjects included 22 nurses workingin neonatal intensive care unit. Two tools were used; first a questionnaire sheet for nurse'scharacteristics and the second tool was an observational checklist used to assess nurse'spractice. The study results indicated that all of the studied nurses had both satisfactory andunsatisfactory levels regarding their practice. The study findings concluded that nurses wereincompetent in providing care to premature neonates. The main study recommendationsincluded, in-service educational program to update nurses' practice should be conducted andnurse's practice should be adequately supervised by head nurse as well as proper feedbackshould be given to nurses to improve quality of care of premature neonates and booklets ofcritical procedures for premature neonates should be available at the unit.