Parents' Experience of Having an Infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Study.

Shahd H Rihan,Neveen M Azzam,Eman F Badran,Laila M Mohamadeen,Dua'A J Khalaf,Sara A Zayadneh,Hidaia A Rashid,Furqan M Hilal,Reema R Safadi

doi:10.7759/cureus.16747

Abstract

Introduction: Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is usually unexpected and can be stressful to the parents causing strenuous psychosocial effects. Parents of these infants are subject to suffering stress, depression, and feelings of powerlessness. This study aimed at describing parents’ experience of having their infant in the neonatal intensive care unit.Method: A qualitative descriptive design was used. Parents (six couples and four mothers) of infants hospitalized for at least ten days regardless of gestational age, gender, or medical diagnosis were selected from a teaching hospital in Amman, Jordan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between June 2019 and November 2019.Results: Thematic analysis of the data revealed four emerging themes: (1) Living the ambiguities of the admission to the NICU, (2) Living the burdens of their infants’ hospitalization, (3) Coping with the stresses of a hospitalized infant, and (4) Reflecting on interactions with healthcare staff and the environment.Discussion and conclusion: The study findings demonstrated parents’ worries and needs and highlighted the use of spirituality/religiosity as a coping mechanism. The findings will guide healthcare providers and policymakers to develop caring strategies that enhance care delivered to parents of infants in intensive care units.

Highlights

Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is usually unexpected and can be stressful to the parents causing strenuous psychosocial effects
A qualitative descriptive design was used to understand the experience of Jordanian parents as their infant was hospitalized in the NICU for a prolonged period (≥ ten days)
This study aimed at describing the experience of parents of an infant admitted to the NICU for a prolonged period, at least ten days, in the Jordanian context

Summary

Introduction

Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is usually unexpected and can be stressful to the parents causing strenuous psychosocial effects. Parents of these infants are subject to suffering stress, depression, and feelings of powerlessness. This study aimed at describing parents’ experience of having their infant in the neonatal intensive care unit. NICU admission is usually unexpected and can be stressful to the parents causing strenuous psychosocial effects [3]. Parents of infants admitted to the NICU often reported suffering stress, depression, and feelings of powerlessness [4]. Heidari et al described parents’ stress as an experience that carries a great sense of misgiving, nervousness, emotional tension, and separation anxiety [5]. Improvement of the infant’s health created feelings of hopefulness, while the opposite of this resulted in despair [7]

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Conclusion