Advances in neonatal care : official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Close to me: enhancing kangaroo care practice for NICU staff and parents.
The benefits of kangaroo care (KC) are well supported by previously published studies, yet KC is offered inconsistently and faces obstacles in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The March of Dimes designed Close to Me to facilitate and increase KC in NICUs. The program incorporates KC education for nurses and parents, as well as awareness and comfort components. The purpose of this study was to assess whether Close to Me increased favorable attitudes toward KC among nurses and parents, and changed nurse and parent behaviors to implement KC earlier, more often and for longer duration. ⋯ March of Dimes Close to Me improved knowledge and behavior regarding KC in NICUs. By offering KC education to parents, providing KC awareness and comfort components, and providing information and encouragement on the benefits and feasibility of KC to nurses, hospitals can potentially promote earlier and more frequent use of KC, particularly with infants born less than 28 weeks' gestation.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Nasal continuous positive airway pressure: a multisite study of suctioning practices within NICUs.
The purpose of this multisite study was to describe suctioning techniques of registered nurses (RNs) and respiratory therapists (RTs) caring for neonates requiring nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The care practices investigated included suctioning frequency, assessment parameters, and techniques used to suction. ⋯ Despite the treatment of respiratory distress with nasal CPAP, there are no best practice guidelines for providing nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal suctioning for maintenance of a patent airway. Future randomized controlled clinical trials are needed to develop best practices for nasal CPAP suctioning.
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Multicenter Study
A descriptive study of noise in the neonatal intensive care unit. Ambient levels and perceptions of contributing factors.
To examine the baseline acoustic environment in several mid-Atlantic region neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and investigate the perceived factors contributing to noise levels in these NICUs. ⋯ Elevated sound levels need to be addressed in individual NICUs around the country. Further exploratory studies, as well as research regarding effective methods of decreasing sound levels in the NICU environment, are necessary. NICUs can implement behavioral and structural changes that can decrease the sound levels in the NICU environment and decrease the potential for exposure of patients to the harmful physiological effects of increased sound levels.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Recorded maternal voice for preterm neonates undergoing heel lance.
To determine if a recording of a mother's voice talking soothingly to her baby is useful in diminishing pain in newborns born between 32 and 36 weeks' gestational age (GA) during routine painful procedures. ⋯ Different modalities of maternal presence would appear to be necessary to blunt pain response in infants, and recorded maternal voice alone is not sufficient. The loudness of the recording may have obliterated the infant's ability to discern the mother's voice and may even have been aversive, reflected in decreased oxygen saturation levels in the voice condition. Preterm neonates of 32 to 36 weeks' gestation may become sensitized to painful experiences and show anticipatory physiological response.
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Multicenter Study
Acculturation and stress in Chinese-American parents of infants cared for in the intensive care unit.
To describe the stressful experiences of Chinese-American parents who have an infant in the intensive care unit (ICU), and to assess the influence of acculturation, parents' characteristics, and social supports on parental stress. ⋯ Findings from this study suggest implications for the education of both families and the ICU staffs.