Parents’ Needs Regarding their High -Risk Neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Background: Hospitalization of new-born infant in a neonatal intensive care unit is a very frighten
and distressing experience for parents, Nurses plays an important role in listening to the demands,
concerns, and fears of the family, planning care, attending to their needs and providing the
necessary support. Aim: Explore parents’ needs regarding their high-risk neonates in neonatal
intensive care unit. Research design: A descriptive exploratory research design was utilised in
the current study. Sample: A convenient sample of 150 parents (105 mothers and 45 fathers) who
had neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit were involved in the current study.
Setting: The study was conducted at a waiting room of neonatal intensive care unit at Minia
University Hospital for Obstetric and Paediatrics, Egypt. One tool was used in this study. Part I:
Include demographic data of parents such as age, education, number of children, and previous
admission to neonatal intensive care unit. Part II: Demographic characteristics of the neonates
such as gestational age at birth, birth weight, length of hospital stays and type of disease. Part III:
Include neonatal intensive care unit family needs inventory scale to measure the needs of patents
regarding their high-risk neonates in neonatal intensive care unit. Results: Fathers had the higher
mean score regarding assurance, proximity, information, support and comfort subscale than mothers
and assurance subscale ranked the highest most important subscale with mean ±SD (3. 61± 0.141)
and (3.35± 0.235) for fathers and mothers respectively. There were statistically significant
differences between demographic characteristics of parents and their neonates and parent’s most
important needs. Conclusion: In neonatal intensive care unit family needs inventory scale the needs
of fathers regarding high- risk neonates were most important than mothers and assurance subscale
ranked the highest most important subscale. Importance of needs for parents.is influenced by
Parents and their neonates’ demographic characteristics Recommendations: There should be
written guidelines for health care team in the hospital about the neonatal intensive care unit family
need inventory scale to be practiced in neonatal intensive care unit