School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Department of Biochemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
J Clin Nurs. 2022 Mar;31(5-6):532-547. doi: 10.1111/jocn.15972. Epub 2021 Jul 26.
Having an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is associated with intense emotional stress for both mothers and fathers. However, with the right support from staff, this stress can be reduced significantly. Although evidence on needs of parents in the neonatal unit exists, there is lack of a systematic integrative review on the support needs of parents in the neonatal unit. Current review evidence is needed to support busy neonatal unit clinicians in their practice.
The purpose of this integrative review is to explore the current available evidence to describe and understand the support needs of parents of infants in the NICU.
The integrative review process of Whittemore and Knafl (2005) was used to guide this study. Six databases-MEDLINE, CINHAL, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and PsycINFO-were searched for eligible studies using relevant keywords. Primary studies published in English language from 2010 to 2021 were reviewed following a pre-determined inclusion criteria. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The review report is guided by the PRISMA 2020 checklist for systematic reviews.
Overall, 24 primary qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies were included in the review. Analysis of included studies resulted in six themes that demonstrate the support needs of parents in the NICU; 1. Information needs; 2. Emotionally intelligent staff; 3. Hands-on support; 4. Targeted support; 5. Emotional needs; and 6. Practical needs.
This review has presented the current evidence on the needs of parents from their own perspective. Healthcare workers' understanding and supporting these needs in the NICU is likely to increase parental satisfaction and improve health outcomes for parents, infants and their family.
Parents of infants in the NICU require staff support to enhance their experiences, well-being, caring and parenting confidence during admission and post-discharge. As parents are in constant need for informational, emotional and practical support, continuing professional development for NICU staff should place emphasis on effective communication strategies, enhancing emotional intelligence and empathy among staff. NICU staff should build positive ongoing relationships with parents and provide targetted support for mothers and fathers.
婴儿在新生儿重症监护病房（NICU）会给母亲和父亲带来强烈的情绪压力。然而，通过员工的适当支持，这种压力可以显著减轻。尽管有证据表明新生儿病房的父母有需求，但缺乏对新生儿病房父母支持需求的系统综合审查。目前需要审查证据，以支持繁忙的新生儿病房临床医生的实践。
本综合审查的目的是探索现有的可用证据，以描述和理解 NICU 中婴儿父母的支持需求。
使用 Whittemore 和 Knafl（2005 年）的综合审查过程来指导这项研究。使用相关关键字在六个数据库（MEDLINE、CINHAL、PubMed、Scopus、Google Scholar 和 PsycINFO）中搜索符合条件的研究。使用预定义的纳入标准审查符合纳入标准的原始研究。使用混合方法评估工具（MMAT）对研究进行批判性评估。审查报告以 PRISMA 2020 系统评价清单为指导。
总体而言，本研究共纳入了 24 项定性、定量和混合方法的原始研究。对纳入研究的分析产生了六个主题，展示了 NICU 中父母的支持需求；1.信息需求；2.情感智能的工作人员；3.动手支持；4.有针对性的支持；5.情感需求；和 6.实际需求。
本综述从父母自身的角度呈现了目前关于父母需求的证据。医疗保健工作者理解和支持 NICU 中的这些需求，可能会提高父母的满意度，并改善父母、婴儿及其家庭的健康结果。
NICU 中婴儿的父母在入院和出院后需要工作人员的支持，以增强他们的体验、幸福感、照顾和育儿信心。由于父母不断需要信息、情感和实际支持，NICU 工作人员的持续专业发展应强调有效的沟通策略，提高员工的情商和同理心。NICU 工作人员应与父母建立积极的持续关系，并为母亲和父亲提供有针对性的支持。
