ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU) by M. Miles et al. has been developed in order to assess the stress experienced by parents of infants being treated in Intensive Care Units. The measurement of parental stress enables the evaluation of nursing care effectiveness, as well as facilitating the determination of the level of progress made by parents in coping with the difficult situation they face. OBJECTIVES: The aims of the research include: (1) validation of the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit into Polish and (2) initial assessment of perceptions of parental stress in a group of 151 parents of infants treated in four NICUs in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This quantitative cross-sectional study was performed among 151 parents (129 mothers and 22 fathers) of infants treated in four NICUs in central and eastern Poland. The respondents were asked to complete forms following the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Impact Event Scale - Revised (IES-R),and their demographics, which combined basic medical data along with socio-emographic data of both parents and children. RESULTS: The three sub-scales distinguished on the basis of the factor analysis (Infant Appearance, Parental Role Alteration, Sights and Sounds) can explain in total 54.89% of variances. Cronbach's alpha for the entire scale equals 0.92, while as follows for the particular sub-scales: Infant Appearance -.92; Parental Role Alteration -.86, and Sights and Sounds - 0.78. CONCLUSIONS: The Polish version of PSS:NICU is an accurate and reliable tool for the assessment of stress experienced by parents whose infants require treatment in NICUs.
