Journal of pediatric nursing
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Multicenter Study
Factors Influencing Parental Participation in Neonatal Pain Alleviation.
Neonates are likely to experience numerous painful procedures in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Parents have expressed a wish to be more involved in their infants' pain alleviation. The purpose of this study was to describe parents' perceptions concerning the factors that influence parental participation in pain alleviation in an NICU. ⋯ Parents should be engaged as partners in caregiving and decision making, and they should be given space to assume the role of parents during their child's hospitalization.
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This descriptive qualitative study explored parent experiences related to their infant's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization, end-of-life care, and palliative care consultation. "Life and death in the NICU environment" emerged as the primary theme with the following categories: ups and downs of parenting in the NICU, decision-making challenges in the NICU, and parent support. Parents encountered challenges with areas for improvement for end-of-life and palliative care in the NICU. Further research is necessary to understand barriers with integrating palliative care and curative care in the NICU, and how NICU care affects bereavement and coping outcomes after infant death.