Advances in neonatal care : official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses
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Learning directly from bereaved parents about their experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can improve services at end-of-life (EOL) care. Parents who perceive that their infant suffered may report less satisfaction with care and may be at greater risk for distress after the death. Despite calls to improve EOL care for children, limited research has examined the EOL experiences of families in the NICU. ⋯ Prospective studies are needed to better understand parental perceptions of EOL care and the influence on later parental adjustment.
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Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses require knowledge and skill to meet the unique needs of infants and families. Increasingly, principles of palliative care are being integrated into the NICU setting to improve the quality of care. ⋯ Continued attention to palliative care in this setting is needed, and future research is needed to evaluate the outcomes of this education and practice change.
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Parents of neonates are integral components of patient safety in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), yet their views are often not considered. By understanding how parents perceive patient safety in the NICU, clinicians can identify appropriate parent-centered strategies to involve them in promoting safe care for their infants. ⋯ Uncertainty remains about how to measure parent perceptions of safe care, the level at which the clinician-parent partnership affects patient safety, and whether parents' presence and involvement with their infants in the NICU improve patient safety.
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Palliative care is an integral element of care provision in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Healthcare providers working in NICUs are likely to provide palliative care at some point in their career. ⋯ There is a need for further research investigating the specific types of training required by healthcare providers in NICU settings who are providing bereavement/palliative care to neonates, in order to best support the families' needs in these situations.