Journal
PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING
Volume 100, Issue 4, Pages 710-719Publisher
ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2016.11.017
Keywords
Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); Very low birth weight infant (VLBW infant); Family-centred care (FCC); Parents; Communication; Information; Empathy; Stress
Funding
- German Federal Ministry of Education and Research [01-GY-1152]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Objective: To analyse stress in parents whose infants with very low birth weight have just concluded high-level care in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). More specifically, we aimed 1) to identify groups of parents in the NICU who are particularly at risk of experiencing stress, and 2) to explore the effects of clinical staffs' communication on parental stress. Methods: Our multi-center-study evaluated views from 1277 parents about care for 923 infants in 66 German NICUs. Answers were linked with separately evaluated medical outcomes of the infants. Separate generalised mixed models estimated the influence of personal, medical and communication-related characteristics on specific parental stress. Results: Parents of a younger age and those of infants with severe prognoses were more likely to experience stress. While empathetic communication as one aspect of staffs' communication was shown as appropriate in reducing parental stress, an initial introduction and the quantity of information were only slightly associated with lower levels of stress. Conclusion: Results provide evidence for the need to involve parents empathetically from the beginning of their child's stay in the NICU. Practice implications: Staff in the NICU should communicate empathetically and help to reduce stress in parents particularly at risk. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available