Tool to Enhance Relationships Between Staff and Parents in the Neonatal Unit

To explore the experiences of neonatal nurses in the implementation of a tool to enhance relationships between staff and parents in the neonatal unit: the You and Your Baby Nursery Guide.

Qualitative descriptive design with focus groups.

The study took place in a Level 4, 20-bed neonatal unit in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Purposive sample of seven registered nurses who worked day or afternoon shifts.

We conducted two semistructured focus groups after a 4-week implementation period of the You and Your Baby Nursery Guide. Participants completed a weekly reflective journal throughout the implementation period. We audiotaped and transcribed the focus groups and qualitatively analyzed the interview data with the use of thematic analysis.

Use of the guide helped transform the relationships between parents and staff. The use of the guide enhanced communication, promoted participants' personal reflection on their clinical skills and style/approach to parent engagement, and directly affected the care participants provided to infants and families.

The You and Your Baby Nursery Guide was a useful resource to facilitate the delivery of family-centered, developmentally supportive care.