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Communicating with parents of premature infants: who is the informant?

W J Kowalski1, K H Leef, A Mackley

  • 1Department of Neonatology, Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, PA 18105, USA. Wendy_J.Kowalski@lvh.com

Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association
|November 18, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents find nurses to be the most helpful information source, despite satisfactory communication from neonatologists. Nurses provided the most detailed explanations and updates on their infant

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Parental education
  • Healthcare communication

Background:

  • Parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) require clear and consistent information.
  • Understanding parental information needs is crucial for improving NICU care and support.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the most helpful information sources for parents with infants in the NICU.
  • To determine who provides information to NICU parents.
  • To understand parental expectations regarding information acquisition.

Main Methods:

  • A 19-item questionnaire was administered to parents of infants born at 32 weeks gestation or younger.
  • Data was collected prior to infant discharge from the NICU.

Main Results:

  • Nearly all parents (96%) felt the medical team provided necessary information.
  • Most parents (91%) reported good communication from the neonatologist.
  • Nurses were identified as the primary source for explanations, best information, and updates on infant condition (P<0.01).

Conclusions:

  • While neonatologists offer satisfactory parent education, nurses are the preferred and primary source of information for NICU parents.
  • This highlights the critical role of nursing staff in supporting families during NICU stays.
Abstract

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