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Scottish neonatal intensive care units; a study of staff and parental attitudes
1Department of Social and Economic Research, Glasgow University.
Insights
This study on Scottish neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) found that while most units support liberal family visiting, some staff hold reservations. Parents visit daily despite costs, with varying levels of involvement across units.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric nursing
- Family-centered care
Background:
- Parental presence and involvement are crucial in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
- Understanding staff and parent perspectives on visiting policies is essential for optimizing care.
- Scottish NICUs have varying approaches to family-centered care for low birthweight infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review Scottish NICU policies, staff views, and parents' experiences regarding visiting and involvement with low birthweight infants.
- To identify discrepancies between unit policies and staff attitudes towards family presence.
- To explore the extent of parental involvement and associated costs.
Main Methods:
- A three-stage approach was used to gather data.
- Review of Scottish NICU policies.
- Surveys/interviews with NICU staff and parents of low birthweight infants.
Main Results:
- Most NICUs have liberal visiting policies, but some staff expressed reservations about family presence.
- Parents frequently visited their infants daily, incurring significant social and financial costs.
- There were notable differences among units regarding the level of parental involvement in infant care tasks.
Conclusions:
- Despite liberal policies, inconsistent staff attitudes may impact family-centered care in Scottish NICUs.
- Parents are highly committed to visiting their low birthweight infants, facing substantial challenges.
- Further research is needed to standardize parental involvement and support across NICUs.
Abstract:
The study takes a three stage approach to review Scottish unit policies, staff views and parents experiences of visiting and involvement with their low birthweight infant (1,750 gm or less) in a sample of Scottish neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The study indicated that while most units had 'liberal' views regarding parental and family visiting some staff views were not in line with their unit policy and retained reservations about family visiting. Many parents reported visiting daily despite considerable 'social' and real costs. Unit differences emerged regarding the degree of parental involvement as measured by tasks carried out.