Nurses' perceptions of trauma-informed care in NICU practice: A qualitative content analysis

Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a patient-centered framework that addresses the psychological and emotional impacts of traumatic experiences. In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where infants and families encounter critical conditions, TIC is essential for enhancing care quality. This study examined nurses' perceptions and lived experiences of TIC in this setting.

This qualitative study used a conventional content analysis approach with a hybrid inductive-deductive orientation. Data were collected through seven individual semi-structured interviews and two dyadic interviews with 11 nurses working in the NICU of a referral hospital in the city of Semnan, Iran. Interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved. Data were analyzed using MAXQDA 2020, and trustworthiness was established according to Lincoln and Guba's criteria.

The findings included the theme of Relationally empowering care and the two-tiered approach to facilitating mothers' empowerment and synergy in the caregiving experience. Nurses can helped reduce stress and improve mothers' psychological well-being by establishing a supportive and trusting relationship with them. Additionally, sharing experiences among mothers and instilling hope in them are other important aspects of this approach.

NICU nurses perceived trauma-informed care as a relational and empowering approach embedded in everyday practice. Through supportive communication, maternal involvement, and fostering hope, nurses helped families cope with the psychological burden of NICU hospitalization. Supporting these relational practices may strengthen trauma-informed care implementation in neonatal settings.