The Relationship between Parental Stress and Nurses' Communication as Perceived by Parents of High-risk Newborns

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the relationship between parental stress and nurses' communication as perceived by parents of high-risk newborns in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: The participants were 54 parents of high-risk newborns in a NICU. Data were collected from January to March 2018. Parental stress and parents' perceptions of nurses' communication ability and styles were measured using a questionnaire. Results: The average scores for parental stress and nurses' communication ability were 3.39 and 4.38 respectively, on a 5-point scale. Parents most commonly reported that nurses showed a friendly communication style, followed by informative and authoritative styles. Mothers and fathers reported significantly different levels of parental stress. Parental stress showed a negative correlation with nurses' perceived verbal communication ability. Higher scores for nurses' verbal communication ability and for friendly and informative communication styles were associated with lower parental stress induced by the environment, the baby's appearance and behaviors, and treatments in the NICU. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that nurses need to offer proper information for parents and to support parents by encouraging them to express their emotions of stress and by providing parents with therapeutic communication and opportunities to participate in care.

Factors influencing the quality of nursing care as perceived by mothers of hospitalized children in South Korea

“…In this study, the mean score for nurses' non-verbal communication ability was higher than the mean score for nurse's verbal communication ability. This result is similar to that of a study by Lee et al [24] concerning the parents of high-risk newborns. However, a study by Kim [8] on adult inpatients found that the mean score for nurses' verbal communication ability was higher than the mean score for nurses' non-verbal communication ability.…”

“…In this study, the mean score for the communication ability of nurses perceived by the mothers (mean=4.59, with a possible score range of 1-5) was higher than that of a study by Lee et al [24] (mean=4.38) in which the communication ability of nurses perceived by parents of high-risk newborns was measured using the same tool. This difference may be because, in the study by Lee et al [24], communication between nurses and parents of high-risk newborns took place in the context of limited visiting hours in a neonatal intensive care unit. However, in this study, communication between nurses and mothers of hospitalized children occurred in a pediatric ward that presented relatively more opportunities for regular communication.…”

Experimentally Calibrated Analysis of the Electronic Structure of CuO+: Implications for Reactivity

“…Chemical transformations of both renewable and non‐renewable resources to products of greater value, such as methane to methanol, or biomass polymers to simple sugars, represent one of the current challenges in catalysis . Both of these transformations occur in nature with the help of copper‐containing enzymes.…”

Addressing the Needs of Mothers with Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Secondary Analysis

“…While an integrative review indicated the necessity of tailored interventions for South Korean mothers [21], our qualitative study lays the groundwork for the development and refinement of family interventions in the South Korean context. Thus, mothers of high-risk infants can cope more effectively with stress when their opinions are recognized by medical staff [22] in a friendly environment [23]. As family advocates, healthcare providers should make efforts to design favorable environments and provide support to families by addressing and accommodating their changeable needs within the complexity of their NICU experiences [24,25].…”