Choices of neonatal nurses in ambiguous clinical situations

This article reports a study of the nurse's choice of level of management and factors influencing that choice in three ambiguous clinical situations related to neonatal nursing. A nationwide mail survey, using a Likert scale, was conducted on a random sample of the membership of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. The findings of this research suggest that nurses have clearly defined choices related to the degree of intensity of management of infants, based on consideration of the information available to the nurse in the neonatal setting. These findings have implications for nursing practice and education and consequences for the quality of nursing care provided to infants and their families.