Concerns of mothers whose babies are transferred from NICU to adaptation room about post-discharge newborn care: A qualitative study

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to reflect on post-discharge thoughts, anxiety factors, and hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of mothers whose preterm infants are taken from the NICU to the adaptation room. MethodsThis qualitative study used phenomenological analysis and involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 13 mothers of premature infants. ResultsResults revealed four themes: the NICU process, the process in the adaptation room, the post-discharge process, and the need for information. In this study, mothers experienced intense stress and anxiety while their infants were in the NICU, and being with their infants in the adaptation room reduced this stress and anxiety. ConclusionAccording to the findings of the study, the discharge procedure decreases mothers' anxiety, and worries about newborn care after discharge are connected to birth weight. Nurses can use the adaption room to help mothers with preterm newborns prepare for discharge.