Caregiver contacts experienced by premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

This descriptive study explored the type, frequency, and duration of contacts experienced by 11 mechanically-ventilated infants, born between 23 and 29 weeks gestation. A no-concealment, no-intervention, continuous observation method was utilized. Parameters recorded were: type of contact, type of caregiver, and contact duration. A total of 645 contacts were made over 1210 minutes of observation; 64.5% were indirect and 35.5% were direct. Treatment-oriented procedures accounted for 27.4% of contacts, while 63.7% were incidental. Nurses provided 82.6% of all contacts. The frequency of indirect contacts was negatively related to gestational age. The total duration of direct contacts over 1100 minutes of observation was 186.8 minutes. Nurses are challenged to coordinate necessary care with comfort measures and to decrease the frequency of disruptive contacts with premature infants.