Experience of family members in the care of preterm newborns discharged from a neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

Objective: to understand the experience of family members in the care of preterm newborns discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Methods: qualitative study, developed with 16 family members of preterm newborns discharged from a neonatal unit through semi-structured interviews. Data were submitted to thematic content analysis. Results: three categories were listed: Family members' rearrangements in the care of the preterm newborn at home; recognizing the specific care needs of the preterm child; and care in the face of complications and sequelae resulting from prematurity. Conclusion: family members recognize that the preterm newborn requires differentiated care and, therefore, experience a reorganization of their daily lives to promote the care of the child after discharge from the neonatal unit. Contributions to practice: this study points out the relevance of the nurse's work with families in neonatal units by strengthening family skills so that they can undertake care, so that it can be offered safely and meet the health demands that arise on a daily basis at home, in addition to guiding them about the need for monitoring the child after discharge.