• Stephanie C Treherne, Nancy Feeley, Lyne Charbonneau, and Anna Axelin.
• J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2017 Sep 1; 46 (5): 737-747.

ObjectiveTo discover parents' perceptions of closeness to and separation from their preterm infants in the NICU.DesignQualitative descriptive.SettingUrban Level III NICU.ParticipantsTwenty parents of preterm infants in the NICU.MethodsAfter ethics approval, data were collected with a smartphone application created for this study. Parents recorded their descriptions of moments of closeness and separation over a 24-hour period in the NICU. Data were transcribed verbatim and content was analyzed.ResultsFive themes related to parents' perceptions of closeness and separation were identified: Having a role as a parent: Feeling autonomous and making decisions; Providing for and getting to know the infant: Feeding, holding, and interacting; Support from staff; Reluctantly leaving the infant's bedside; and NICU environment.ConclusionAutonomy is a key element of a parent's perception of closeness. Staff in the NICU can facilitate autonomy by involving parents in the care of their preterm infants as much as possible to reinforce the parental role. Parents described leaving their infants' bedsides as very difficult.Copyright © 2017 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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