Working In Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Research Articles

Stress and burnout influence NICU healthcare professionals’ decision-making on family-centered care delivery: An international survey

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) environment is complex with competing demands. Health care professionals (HCP) caring behaviors and sensitivity to emotional, role and practical demands of infants and families contribute to family satisfaction and improves infant health outcomes. This research examined NICU HCP's beliefs about providing family-centered care (FCC) and factors that influence decision-making to implement FCC. The sample included 263 multidisciplinary HCP working in NICUs around the world. Participants reported low/moderate levels of family caring beliefs (M = 83.81, SD = 6.49), high levels of perceived stress (M = 27.81, SD = 3.21), and moderate levels of burnout (M = 32.62, SD = 2.71). A significant negative correlation (r = −0.489, p < .001) exists between participant perceived stress and caring beliefs. A significant correlation (r = 0.473, p < .001) exists between participant perceived stress and level of burnout. Results suggest stress and burnout are critical factors foundational to HCPs' caring beliefs and FCC delivery.

Novice Occupational Therapist's Experience of Working in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in KwaZulu-Natal

Introduction: The neonatal intensive care unit, a specifically designed environment to meet the needs of severely ill neonates, is an area where occupational therapists have several roles to play. However, there is limited literature available around the training and practice of South African therapists in these units. Method: The study followed a qualitative, explorative design with homogenous purposeful sampling. Twelve occupational therapists with less than four years post-community service experience were recruited and underwent in-depth interviewing regarding their experiences in neonatal intensive care units in the public health sector. Thematic analysis, with deductive reasoning, was used. Results: The community service occupational therapists initially lacked the knowledge and skills for neonatal intensive care unit work. Knowledgeable supervisors and supportive multidisciplinary teams assisted their clinical practice; whereas a lack of resources, cultural barriers and poor orientation hindered practice. The community service occupational therapists went through a process of adaptation, gaining increased confidence and self-identity throughout their exposure, utilising many coping mechanisms. Conclusions: The training of occupational therapists for neonatal intensive care unit practice urgently requires more attention within the South African context. Recommendations include curriculum review, inclusion of practical exposure, providing additional post-graduate courses and ensuring appropriate community service occupational therapist supervision.

Exploring the Gap Between Needs and Practice in Facilitating Breastfeeding Within the Neonatal Intensive Care Setting: An Italian Survey on Organizational Factors.

Introduction: The system-level factors of the neonatal intensive care unit work environment contribute to breastfeeding promotion in the preterm population. The aim of this study was to investigate the operative policies related to breastfeeding support in a sample of Italian Neonatal Intensive Care Units.Materials and Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted, including a sample of 17 head nurses. The items of the questionnaire investigated the following areas: breastfeeding policies, staff education, family centered care, and breastfeeding promotion and support both in the neonatal intensive care units and after discharge.Results: Written breastfeeding policies were available for staff in all the neonatal intensive care units, most commonly addressing procedures related to skin-to-skin contact, human milk expression, and preterm infant breastfeeding. Most of the neonatal intensive care units correctly advised the mothers to initiate milk expression within 6 h from delivery and to pump milk at least 6 times/days. Breastfeeding training for the nursing staff was planned in the majority of the neonatal intensive care units although according to different schedules. With regard to the family centered care implementation, time restrictions were present in seven neonatal intensive care units, mostly occurring during the night shift, and the morning hours concomitantly with medical rounds. Moreover, in the majority of the investigated neonatal intensive care units, the parents were asked to leave the ward when their infant underwent a major invasive procedure or during the nurse/physician shift change report. With regard to breastfeeding promotion and support, eight neonatal care units had a multidisciplinary team with several health care professionals and 10 provided information about community-based support services. Most of the units assessed breastfeeding after discharge.Conclusion: Based on the present findings, enrolled Neonatal Intensive Care Units appear to provide breastfeeding-supportive environments with special regard to breastfeeding policies, milk expression practices, interprofessional collaboration, and continuity of care. Health care professionals should exert efforts to ensure continuous and updated breastfeeding staff education and promote parent-infant closeness and family centered care.

Personalized Antenatal Consultations for Preterm Labor: Responding to Mothers' Expectations

To explore prospective mothers' perspectives regarding antenatal consultations by neonatology teams for threatened preterm delivery. In a prospective multicenter study, women at risk of preterm delivery between 26 and 32 weeks of gestational age were surveyed during the 72 hours following their antenatal consultation. The questionnaire used was developed and validated during a single-center study. Over 18 months, 229 mothers completed the survey (73% response rate), at a median gestational age of 30 weeks. Spouses/partners were present for 49% of consultations. Most women (90%) reported a positive experience. They found it important to discuss the outcomes of prematurity (96%), but 39% of them reported receiving too much information. Women wanted their spouse/partner to be present (71%) and wished to discuss parental concerns: their roles as mother of a premature baby (82%), their integration in their baby's care (83%), and a better understanding of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environment, including antenatal NICU visits (69%). The majority (56%) wanted a follow-up consultation: this was less likely if a NICU visit had been offered (P < .001), if their role as decision-maker had been discussed (P < .05), or if the consultation had lasted longer (P = .001). Policy statements recommend a standardized approach to providing parents with child-centered information. Although clinicians follow these guidelines, mothers want personalized information focusing on their individual concerns and questions, such as what they can do for their baby, how NICUs work, and the integration of their family.

Factors associated with infant feeding of human milk at discharge from neonatal intensive care: Cross-sectional analysis of nurse survey and infant outcomes data

ContextNurses are principal caregivers in the neonatal intensive care unit and support mothers to establish and sustain a supply of human milk for their infants. Whether an infant receives essential nutrition and immunological protection provided in human milk at discharge is an issue of health care quality in this setting. ObjectivesTo examine the association of the neonatal intensive care unit work environment, staffing levels, level of nurse education, lactation consultant availability, and nurse-reported breastfeeding support with very low birth weight infant receipt of human milk at discharge. Design and settingCross sectional analysis combining nurse survey data with infant discharge data. ParticipantsA national sample of neonatal intensive care units (N=97), nurses (N=5614) and very low birth weight infants (N=6997). MethodsSequential multivariate linear regression models were estimated at the unit level between the dependent variable (rate of very low birth weight infants discharged on “any human milk”) and the independent variables (nurse work environment, nurse staffing, nursing staff education and experience, lactation consultant availability, and nurse-reported breastfeeding support). ResultsThe majority of very low birth weight infants (52%) were discharged on formula only. Fewer infants (42%) received human milk mixed with fortifier or formula. Only 6% of infants were discharged on exclusive human milk. A 1 SD increase (0.25) in the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index composite score was associated with a four percentage point increase in the fraction of infants discharged on human milk (p<0.05). A 1 SD increase (0.15) in the fraction of nurses with a bachelor's degree in nursing was associated with a three percentage point increase in the fraction infants discharged on human milk (p<0.05). The acuity-adjusted staffing ratio was marginally associated with the rate of human milk at discharge (p=.056). A 1 SD increase (7%) in the fraction of infants who received breastfeeding support was associated with an eight percentage point increase in the fraction of infants discharged on human milk (p<0.001). ConclusionsNeonatal intensive care units with better work environments, better educated nurses, and more infants who receive breastfeeding support by nurses have higher rates of very low birth weight infants discharged home on human milk. Investments by nurse administrators to improve work environments and support educational preparation of nursing staff may ensure that the most vulnerable infants have the best nutrition at the point of discharge.

Target fortification of breast milk: how often should milk analysis be done?

Target fortification (TFO) reduces natural macronutrient variation in breast milk (BM). Daily BM analysis for TFO increases neonatal intensive care unit work load by 10–15 min/patient/day and may not be feasible in all nurseries. The variation of macronutrient intake when BM analysis is done for various schedules was studied. In an observational study, we analyzed 21 subsequent samples of native 24-h BM batches, which had been prepared for 10 healthy infants (gestational age 26.1 ± 1.3 weeks, birth weight: 890 ± 210 g). Levels of protein and fat (validated near-infrared milk analyzer), as well as lactose (UPLC-MS/MS) generated the database for modelling TFO to meet recommendations of European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition. Intake of macronutrients and energy were calculated for different schedules of BM measurements for TFO (n = 1/week; n = 2/week; n = 3/week; n = 5/week; n = 7/week) and compared to native and fixed dose fortified BM. Day-to-day variation of macronutrients (protein 20%, carbohydrate 13%, fat 17%, energy 10%) decreased as the frequency of milk analysis increased and was almost zero for protein and carbohydrate with daily measurements. Measurements two/week led to mean macronutrient intake within a range of ±5% of targeted levels. A reduced schedule for macronutrient measurement may increase the practical use of TFO. To what extent the day-to-day variation affects growth while mean intake is stable needs to be studied.