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Mothers' experiences while admitted to a residential parenting unit: a qualitative study
Cathrine Fowler1,2, Marie Dickinson2, Leanne Daggar2
1a Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney , PO Box 123, 15 Broadway, Ultimo 2007 , NSW , Australia.
Contemporary Nurse
|April 26, 2019
Summary
Residential parenting units in Australia help mothers with infant and toddler challenges. Mothers reported increased confidence and skills, valuing the collaborative and parent-focused approach of these services.
Area of Science:
- Parenting Support Services
- Child and Family Health
- Maternal Mental Health
Background:
- Residential parenting units offer crucial support for parents facing significant infant/toddler care difficulties.
- Common admission reasons include sleep/settling, parenting adjustment, and feeding issues.
- These services aim to assist parents in managing complex caregiving challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore mothers' experiences within residential parenting units.
- To enhance the 'mother's voice' in parenting support services.
- To understand staff interactions' impact on care delivery.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative descriptive approach utilized.
- Thematic analysis applied to collected data.
- One hundred mothers from three residential units participated via questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Three key themes emerged: initial uncertainty, collaborative parent engagement, and facilitated maternal learning.
- Mothers reported enhanced parenting confidence.
- Participants gained new parenting knowledge and practical skills.
Conclusions:
- Residential stays are highly valued by mothers, as evidenced by their narratives.
- The findings affirm the parent-focused nature of these units.
- Mothers appreciated staff's willingness to listen and adapt care to individual needs and cultural contexts.