Fathers' perception of information received during their infants' stay at a neonatal intensive care unit

To explore fathers' perception of information received during their infants' care at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

An inductive, qualitative and descriptive study. Eight fathers in two units were interviewed. The infants' gestational age at birth ranged between 23 and 36 weeks. Data were collected through semi-structured, individual interviews and were analyzed by qualitative content analysis.

Three categories were identified: perception of information, perception of the source of information, and circumstances influencing the perception of information. Information had an important impact; comprehensible and adequate information increased the fathers' knowledge, which generated a sense of control. Early information about the infant's care was particularly important and positively affected father and infant bonding.

Ensuring a high quality of information is an important task for NICU staff. Fathers' perception of the quality of information depended on the contents of the information and how it was conveyed. Comprehensible information at the onset of the infant's hospital stay increased the fathers' sense of security, and made them feel in control. It is important that the staff strive to identify what information the father requires, and prevent situations when fathers feel uncertainty about what the staff expect from them.