Mothers in the NICU: outsider to partner

• Published in: Pediatric nursing Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 176 - 200
• Main Authors: Heermann, Judith A, Wilson, Margaret E, Wilhelm, Patricia A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Jannetti Publications, Inc 01.05.2005; Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Attitude of Health Personnel; Attitude to Health; Babies; Caregivers; Child Advocacy; Child development; Child Rearing; Children; Cooperative Behavior; Data Analysis; Diseases; Emotional Response; Environment; Family (Sociological Unit); Female; Humans; Infant Care; Infant, Newborn; Intensive care units; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Intensive Care, Neonatal - psychology; Internal-External Control; Literature Reviews; Maternal Behavior - psychology; Midwestern United States; Models, Psychological; Mother-Child Relations; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Neonatal care; Neonatal Nursing - organization & administration; Neonates; Nurses; Nursing; Nursing Methodology Research; Nursing Staff, Hospital - psychology; Object Attachment; Parenting - psychology; Parents; Pediatric nursing; Power (Psychology); Professional-Family Relations; Psychological Patterns; Qualitative Research; Referral; Research Design; Researchers; Social Support; Statistical Analysis; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teaching Methods; Technological Advancement; Young Children; Midwestern United States; United States
• ISSN: 0097-9805

The emerging care delivery model for Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) is family-focused, developmentally supportive care. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe mothers' experience of becoming a mother while their infants were receiving care in the NICU. A qualitative research design was used. Interviews with 15 mothers whose infants were in a Level III NICU were analyzed using Spradley's domain analysis approach. Mothers developed from outsider to engaged parent along four continua: (1) focus: from NICU to baby; (2) ownership: from their baby to my baby; (3) caregiving: from passive to active; and (4) voice: from silence to advocacy. Mothers entered the continua at different points and moved at different rates toward "engaged parenting." The final stage, partnering, required active participation of nurses. Mothers' development evolved in predictable patterns. The results of this study can be considered in implementation and evaluation plans for NICUs moving to family-focused developmental care.