Research Article: Uncertainty and the NICU Experience: A Qualitative Evaluation of Family and Provider Perspectives
Abstract:
There is limited information regarding caregiver and provider perspectives on uncertainty across the continuum of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience. Open-ended semi-structured interviews were conducted with providers and English- and Spanish-speaking caregivers of infants with a history of admission to a quaternary safety-net NICU. Major themes were generated using inductive–deductive thematic analysis. Seventy-six individuals participated in the study: 47 caregivers and 29 providers. The median gestational age of the infants was 29 weeks and 85% were classified as having chronic complex disease per the Pediatric Medical Complexity Algorithm. Most providers were neonatologists (37%) and nurses (27%) and more than half had over ten years of experience. A conceptual model of caregiver uncertainty was developed and key domains included drivers of uncertainty and its impact, and factors influencing coping and adaptation. Our analysis found a positive association between caregiver information gathering, clinical continuity, support systems, maternal mental health supports, and witnessing a child’s progress and the development of adjustment to chronic uncertainty. These results suggest key areas for intervention that can promote parental adaptation to the uncertainty inherent in the NICU experience.
Introduction:
The experience of hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a profoundly transformative and emotionally demanding journey, both for families and healthcare providers. A cross-sectional study highlighted that the NICU environment, with its abundance of monitors, mechanical ventilators, and constant visual and auditory alarms, creates an unfamiliar and challenging context for parents [1]. It poses unique challenges and emotional complexities, requiring families and providers to navigate a complex…
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