Parents Perceptions of Stress in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Rwanda
Journal of the Democratic Nursing Organization of South Africa - Curationis
; 38(2): 1-8, 2015.
Article
in English
| AIM
| ID: biblio-1264564
Responsible library:
CG1.1
ABSTRACT
Background:
Having a newborn infant hospitalised in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an unexpected and stressful event for a family. A number of potential stressors to which family members of patients in these units may be exposed have been identified; although no studies about this issue have been conducted in Rwanda.Aim:
The aim of this study was to describe and analyse parental perception of stress that resulted from having their infant admitted to a NICU in Kigali; Rwanda.Method:
A quantitative survey was used to describe and analyse parents' perceptions of stress when they had an infant admitted to a NICU. The Parental Stress Scale Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was used to measure the level of stress that those parents experienced.Results:
The results indicated that parents experienced stress from having their infants cared for in a NICU. The most stressful events were the appearance and behaviour of the baby with a mean score of 4.02; whilst the subscale items related to sights and sounds were found to be the least significant source of stress for parents with a mean score of 2.51. In addition; the current study found that parents' age; educational level; occupation; and infant birth weight were associated with parental stress.Conclusion:
The study established that a range of factors was responsible for parental stress when a baby was cared for in a NICU. Identification of these factors could enable health professionals from a hospital in Kigali; Rwanda; to facilitate parents' adjusting and coping
Full text:
Available
Index:
AIM (Africa)
Main subject:
Parents
/
Perception
/
Stress, Physiological
/
Infant, Newborn
/
Infant
/
Intensive Care Units
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Language:
English
Journal:
Journal of the Democratic Nursing Organization of South Africa - Curationis
Year:
2015
Type:
Article
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