scholarly journals Parents’ pandemic NICU experience in the United States: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashlee J. Vance ◽  
Kathryn J. Malin ◽  
Jacquelyn Miller ◽  
Clayton J. Shuman ◽  
Tiffany A. Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
The United States ◽  
System Level ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Family Centered Care ◽  
Parental Presence ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Family Centered ◽  
Parents Experiences

Abstract Background Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) frequently reported high levels of stress, uncertainty, and decreased parenting confidence. Early research has demonstrated that parents have had less access to their infants in the hospital due to restrictions on parental presence secondary to the pandemic. It is unknown how parents have perceived their experiences in the NICU since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of parents who had an infant in the NICU in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic to inform healthcare providers and policy makers for future development of policies and care planning. Methods The study design was a qualitative description of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents’ experiences of having an infant in the NICU. Free-text responses to open-ended questions were collected as part of a multi-method study of parents’ experiences of the NICU during the first six months of the pandemic. Participants from the United States were recruited using social media platforms between the months of May and July of 2020. Data were analyzed using a reflexive thematic approach. Findings Free-text responses came from 169 parents from 38 different states in the United States. Three broad themes emerged from the analysis: (1) parents’ NICU experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic were emotionally isolating and overwhelming, (2) policy changes restricting parental presence created disruptions to the family unit and limited family-centered care, and (3) interactions with NICU providers intensified or alleviated emotional distress felt by parents. A unifying theme of experiences of emotional distress attributed to COVID-19 circumstances ran through all three themes. Conclusions Parents of infants in the NICU during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced emotional struggles, feelings of isolation, lack of family-centered care, and deep disappointment with system-level decisions. Moving forward, parents need to be considered essential partners in the development of policies concerning care of and access to their infants.

scholarly journals Parents' Views of Family-Centered Care at a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit—A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina Terp ◽  
Janne Weis ◽  
Pia Lundqvist
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Pediatric Intensive Care ◽  
Family Centered Care ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Care And Treatment ◽  
Family Centered ◽  
Parents Experiences

Purpose: To describe parents' views of family-centered care at a pediatric intensive care unit.Design and Methods: A qualitative descriptive study with a deductive and inductive approach was conducted based on the principles of family-centered care. Inclusion criteria were parents of children cared for at a pediatric intensive care unit for at least 48 h. Parents of children who died during the hospital stay were excluded. The sample consisted of spontaneous responses from 70 parents to five open questions in the EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care questionnaire, which was completed at discharge. The spontaneous responses were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: The analysis of the parents' statement illuminated that partnership, the essence of family-centered care, appeared incomplete. Partnership was particularly evident regarding parents' experiences of being treated with empathy and respect. It also seemed prominent in situations where the professional team provided support to the child, parents, and family. Based on the parents' statements there was potential for development of the family-centered care approach in aspects such as decision-making concerning care and treatment, as well as improving person-centered communication on order to capture parents' experiences and needs in the highly technological pediatric intensive care unit environment.Conclusions: Although in general parents were satisfied with the care, areas for improvement were identified such as participation in decision-making about care and treatment as well as person-centered communication. The results can contribute to future quality improvement interventions focusing family centered care at pediatric intensive care units.

scholarly journals Content and Communication of Inpatient Family Visitation Policies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sequential Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Hart ◽  
Amy Summer ◽  
Kuldeep N Yadav ◽  
Summer Peace ◽  
David Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Factorial Survey ◽  
Family Centered Care ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Community Protection ◽  
Willingness To Recommend ◽  
Family Centered ◽  
Scientific Rationale ◽  
Care Support

BACKGROUND Inpatient health care facilities restricted inpatient visitation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no existing evidence of how they communicated these policies to the public nor the impact of their communication choices on public perception. OBJECTIVE This study aims to describe patterns of inpatient visitation policies during the initial peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and the communication of these policies to the general public, as well as to identify communication strategies that maximize positive impressions of the facility despite visitation restrictions. METHODS We conducted a sequential, exploratory, mixed methods study including a qualitative analysis of COVID-19 era visitation policies published on Pennsylvania-based facility websites, as captured between April 30 and May 20, 2020 (ie, during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States). We also conducted a factorial survey-based experiment to test how key elements of hospitals’ visitation policy communication are associated with individuals’ willingness to seek care in October 2020. For analysis of the policies, we included all inpatient facilities in Pennsylvania. For the factorial experiment, US adults were drawn from internet research panels. The factorial survey-based experiment presented composite policies that varied in their justification for restricted visitation, the degree to which the facility expressed ownership of the policy, and the inclusion of family-centered care support plans. Our primary outcome was participants’ willingness to recommend the hypothetical facility using a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS We identified 104 unique policies on inpatient visitation from 363 facilities’ websites. The mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for the policies was 14.2. Most policies prohibited family presence (99/104, 95.2%). Facilities justified the restricted visitation policies on the basis of community protection (59/104, 56.7%), authorities’ guidance or regulations (34/104, 32.7%), or scientific rationale (23/104, 22.1%). A minority (38/104, 36.5%) addressed how restrictive visitation may impair family-centered care. Most of the policies analyzed used passive voice to communicate restrictions. A total of 1321 participants completed the web-based survey. Visitation policy elements significantly associated with willingness to recommend the facility included justifications based on community protection (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.24-1.68) or scientific rationale (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.12-1.51), rather than those based on a governing authority. The facility expressed a high degree of ownership over the decision (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04-1.29), rather than a low degree of ownership; and inclusion of family-centered care support plans (OR 2.80, 95% CI 2.51-3.12), rather than no such support. CONCLUSIONS Health systems can immediately improve public receptiveness of restrictive visitation policies by emphasizing community protection, ownership over the facility’s policy, and promoting family-centered care.

scholarly journals Nurses' Perception of Family-Centered Care in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

2019 ◽  
Vol 09 (01) ◽  
pp. 016-020
Author(s):  
Haydeh Heidari ◽  
Marjan Mardani-Hamooleh
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care Units ◽  
Family Centered Care ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Conventional Content Analysis ◽  
Family Centered

AbstractFamily-centered care (FCC) is one of the important elements of care in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The aim of this study was to understand the nurses' perception of FCC in NICUs. This qualitative study was performed using conventional content analysis. Participants in this study included 18 nurses who were selected by a purposeful method. Semistructured, in-depth and face-to-face interviews were conducted with the participants. All interviews were written down, reviewed, and analyzed. Two categories were identified after the data analysis: (1) prerequisite for providing FCC and (2) parents' participation. Prerequisite for providing FCC consisted of two subcategories namely suitable facilities and adequate personnel. Parents' participation included subcategories of parents: neonate's attachment and parents' training. Nurses' perception of FCC in NICUs can facilitate an appropriate condition for the participation of family members in the care of neonates.

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