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Systematic review of qualitative studies exploring parental experiences in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

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  • Dua'a Fayiz Al Maghaireh
  • Khatijah Lim Abdullah
  • Chong Mei Chan
  • Chua Yan Piaw
  • Mariam Mofleh Al Kawafha

Abstract

Aims and objectives To determine the feasibility and utility of a thematic analysis approach to synthesising qualitative evidence about parental experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit. Background Admission of infants to the neonatal intensive care unit is usually an unexpected event for parents who can cause them to experience psychosocial difficulties. A qualitative systematic review is the best method for exploring these parents’ experiences regarding this type of admission. Design Systematic review. Methods Qualitative studies in peer‐reviewed journals aimed at understanding parental experiences regarding infant neonatal intensive care unit admission were identified in six electronic databases. Three reviewers selected relevant articles and assessed the quality of the methodological studies using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify the most common themes in the studies describing parental experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit. Results A total of eighty articles were identified; nine studies were included in this review. Four studies used semistructured interviews, three used interviews, one used self‐reporting and one used both focus group and interview methodologies. Common themes across parents’ experiences were the stress of hospitalisation, alteration in parenting roles and the impact of infant hospitalisation on psychological health. Conclusion Having an infant hospitalised in the neonatal intensive care unit is a stressful experience for parents. This experience is the result of exposure to different stressors related to the infant's condition, an alteration in parenting roles or the neonatal intensive care unit environment and staffing. These parents suffered negative psychological effects, experienced an interrupted development of a healthy parent–infant attachment and/or felt parental role alteration. Relevance to clinical practice The study's findings are crucial for neonatal intensive care unit nurses to develop intervention strategies and programmes that help parents to decrease the stress of their experience and to support them in facing this stressful situation.

Suggested Citation

  • Dua'a Fayiz Al Maghaireh & Khatijah Lim Abdullah & Chong Mei Chan & Chua Yan Piaw & Mariam Mofleh Al Kawafha, 2016. "Systematic review of qualitative studies exploring parental experiences in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(19-20), pages 2745-2756, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jocnur:v:25:y:2016:i:19-20:p:2745-2756
    DOI: 10.1111/jocn.13259
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gill Watson, 2011. "Parental liminality: a way of understanding the early experiences of parents who have a very preterm infant," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(9‐10), pages 1462-1471, May.
    2. Michelle Carr Swift & Ingrid Scholten, 2010. "Not feeding, not coming home: parental experiences of infant feeding difficulties and family relationships in a neonatal unit," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(1‐2), pages 249-258, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nina Margrethe Kynoe & Drude Fugelseth & Ingrid Hanssen, 2020. "When a common language is missing: Nurse–mother communication in the NICU. A qualitative study," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(13-14), pages 2221-2230, July.
    2. Charlotte Gibson & Kirsty Ross & Matt Williams & Nathalie de Vries, 2021. "The Experiences of Mothers in a Neonatal Unit and Their Use of the Babble App," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(2), pages 21582440211, June.
    3. Julia Petty & Joy Jarvis & Rebecca Thomas, 2019. "Understanding parents’ emotional experiences for neonatal education: A narrative, interpretive approach," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(9-10), pages 1911-1924, May.
    4. Tal Yatziv & Yoav Kessler & Naama Atzaba-Poria, 2018. "What’s going on in my baby’s mind? Mothers’ executive functions contribute to individual differences in maternal mentalization during mother-infant interactions," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-30, November.
    5. Pia Lundqvist & Janne Weis & Bengt Sivberg, 2019. "Parents’ journey caring for a preterm infant until discharge from hospital‐based neonatal home care—A challenging process to cope with," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(15-16), pages 2966-2978, August.
    6. Susann Kobus & Marlis Diezel & Monia Vanessa Dewan & Britta Huening & Anne-Kathrin Dathe & Peter B. Marschik & Ursula Felderhoff-Mueser & Nora Bruns, 2022. "Music Therapy in Preterm Infants Reduces Maternal Distress," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-11, December.

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