Developing Nursing Standard Guidelines for Nurses in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Delphi Study.

Hanna Lee,Da-Jung Kim,Jeong-Won Han

doi:10.3390/healthcare8030320

Hanna Lee, Da-Jung Kim + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8030320

Copy DOI

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop nursing standard guidelines for nurses in a neonatal intensive care unit. The Delphi method was used in this study to elicit expert consensus. Thirteen experts who were nurses and pediatric adolescent specialists working in the neonatal intensive care unit participated in the study. In this study, 178 items were developed based on 5 nursing practice standards and 7 standards of professional practice. An additional 10 items were included based on observation in the neonatal intensive care unit. After expert validation, a final total of 184 items was developed. The standard guidelines for high-risk neonatal care developed in this study for practical clinical education in nursing are significant because they reflect the nursing practice standards in Korea and characteristics of nursing practice in the neonatal intensive unit.

Highlights

Protecting human health is a goal for all healthcare practitioners, and high-risk infants especially require greater care than other populations
After birth, high-risk infants are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where they spend at least 24 h in the care of NICU staff, who play a critical role in their survival and eventual thriving [3]
The 13 experts thought that 5.4 years of clinical experience on average were necessary to achieve expertise as an NICU nurse (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Protecting human health is a goal for all healthcare practitioners, and high-risk infants especially require greater care than other populations. This group is broadly defined as including: (1) the preterm infant; (2) the infant with special healthcare needs or dependence on technology; (3) the infant at risk because of family issues; and (4) the infant with anticipated early death [1]. After birth, most newborns in the NICU experience various respiratory issues while transitioning to voluntary breathing, which may lead to emergency situations In these situations, emergency nursing care from experienced nurses is vital [5]. Clinical decision-making skills in NICU nurses are one of those nursing competencies that increases the quality of nursing and exerts a positive influence on the treatment outcome in newborns [7]

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion