TY - JOUR
T1 - Parents' experiences of VOICE
T2 - A novel support programme in the NICU
AU - van den Hoogen, Agnes
AU - Eijsermans, Rian
AU - Ockhuijsen, Henriette D L
AU - Jenken, Floor
AU - Oude Maatman, Sabine M
AU - Jongmans, Marian J
AU - Verhage, Lianne
AU - van der Net, Janjaap
AU - Latour, Jos M
N1 - © 2020 The Authors. Nursing in Critical Care published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Association of Critical Care Nurses.
PY - 2021/5
Y1 - 2021/5
N2 - BACKGROUND: Admission of an infant to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is often a stressful experience for parents and can be associated with feelings of inadequacy to fulfil the desirable parental role. The values, opportunities, integration, control, and evaluation (VOICE) programme was developed to engage parents in care, to decrease stress, and to increase empowerment.AIM: To explore the experiences of parents regarding involvement in the VOICE programme during admission of their infant to the NICU.DESIGN: The VOICE programme includes at least five personal structured meetings between parents, nurses, and other health care professionals throughout the pathway from birth, NICU, and follow up. A qualitative design was adopted using semi-structured interviews. Interviews with 13 parents of 11 infants born at <27 weeks' gestational age were conducted: nine mothers and two couples of father and mother. Thematic analysis was deployed.RESULTS: The findings have been described in one overarching theme: "parental empowerment." Parents felt strengthened and were empowered in the development of their role as primary caretaker by the VOICE programme. The parental empowerment theme emerged from four related interpretive themes that were derived: (a) involvement in care, (b) personalized information and communication, (c) transition to a parental role, and (d) emotional support.CONCLUSION: The VOICE programme can be a structured approach used to implement family support in a NICU to empower parents to become a partner in the care of their infant and feel confident.RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study encourages health care professionals to provide parental support through a structured intervention programme, which contributes to the empowerment of parents in the NICU and encouraged them to participate in care and decision-making.
AB - BACKGROUND: Admission of an infant to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is often a stressful experience for parents and can be associated with feelings of inadequacy to fulfil the desirable parental role. The values, opportunities, integration, control, and evaluation (VOICE) programme was developed to engage parents in care, to decrease stress, and to increase empowerment.AIM: To explore the experiences of parents regarding involvement in the VOICE programme during admission of their infant to the NICU.DESIGN: The VOICE programme includes at least five personal structured meetings between parents, nurses, and other health care professionals throughout the pathway from birth, NICU, and follow up. A qualitative design was adopted using semi-structured interviews. Interviews with 13 parents of 11 infants born at <27 weeks' gestational age were conducted: nine mothers and two couples of father and mother. Thematic analysis was deployed.RESULTS: The findings have been described in one overarching theme: "parental empowerment." Parents felt strengthened and were empowered in the development of their role as primary caretaker by the VOICE programme. The parental empowerment theme emerged from four related interpretive themes that were derived: (a) involvement in care, (b) personalized information and communication, (c) transition to a parental role, and (d) emotional support.CONCLUSION: The VOICE programme can be a structured approach used to implement family support in a NICU to empower parents to become a partner in the care of their infant and feel confident.RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study encourages health care professionals to provide parental support through a structured intervention programme, which contributes to the empowerment of parents in the NICU and encouraged them to participate in care and decision-making.
KW - family support programme
KW - family‐centred care
KW - neonatology
KW - parents
KW - preterm infants
U2 - 10.1111/nicc.12569
DO - 10.1111/nicc.12569
M3 - Article
C2 - 33124117
SN - 1362-1017
VL - 26
SP - 201
EP - 208
JO - Nursing in critical care
JF - Nursing in critical care
IS - 3
ER -