Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / Background: Pregnant women expect a normal pregnancy, a normal delivery and a healthy baby. Unfortunately, premature birth is a common occurrence; ithas some complications and causes death in developing countries. Mothers feel disappointed for not carrying their pregnancies to term and worry about the survival of their babies. Admission into neonatal intensive care unit increases chances of baby survival but has emotional impact on mothers, thus the need to explore their experiences. Objective: To explore the lived experiences of mothers regarding their first exposure to their premature babies admitted in neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: A qualitative and exploratory study using semi-structured interviews with purposively selected mothers was conducted. Interviews were conducted in English using an interview guide, audio recorded and continued until data saturation was reached, thus 8 mothers participated in the study. Field notes were collected. Voice recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. An independent coder confirmed the findings. Results: Mothers experienced stress and anxiety, and felt neglected by health care workers. They felt the focus was on the baby alone and the mothers’ needs ignored, though others were happy that they were welcomed. Conclusions: Therefore, parents need support when their premature babies are admitted in neonatal an intensive care unit. Continuous update on conditions of their babies is also necessary. / AMREF Health Africa, and Limpopo Department of Health

Background: With the increasing survival rate of early preterm infants and the extensive use of invasive health care procedures, the nosocomial infection rate is on the rise in the past decade in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The patients in NICU are a unique and highly vulnerable population, including preterm infants and infants requiring surgery. Nosocomial infection (NI) is associated with the majority of infectious complications of infants, resulting in morbidity and mortality. Close surveillance, accurate measurement, and promotion of full awareness of the risk factors of infection are essential to nosocomial infection control. Previous research had pointed out some factors related to the NI in other countries, and further research is still much needed to reveal the incidence of NI and further analyze the risk factors in China. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess incidence and epidemiologic profile of nosocomial infection in NICU of China, and to identify the main risk factors of nosocomial infections. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort with a nested case control study. All data were collected from the database of the medical records of all the patients who were admitted to the Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center (N=1653) during December 2009 to May 2012.Infection rate, infection density and central line-associated bloodstream infection rate were estimated. Stepwise regression model yielded adjusted odds ratio (OR) of potential risk factors for NI. Results: The infection rate in NICU during the study period was 6.2 episodes per 100 patients (6.0-6.4 episodes per 100 patients). Infection density was 4.2 episodes per 1000 patient-days each year (95%CI=3.4-5.0 episodes per 1000 patient-days). The infection rate of ventilation-related pneumonia was 3.4 episodes per 1000 Mechanical Ventilation (MV) days. (95%CI= 3.2-3.5 episodes per MV patient-days).Central line-associated bloodstream infection rate was 5.4 episodes per 1000 central line days (95%CI= 5.1-5.6episodes per central line days). Overall, infants with gestational age >32weeks, longer duration of receipt of parenteral nutrition and longer duration of receipt of probiotics were significantly less likely to have NI (adjusted ORs= 0.35, 0.94 and 0.88, respectively). Congenital malformation, multiple birth, receipt of vein or arterial catheter, receipt of surgical operation and gastric tube feeding were significantly more likely to have NI(adjusted ORs=4.43,3.24 and 3.88, respectively). And longer duration of using prophylactic antibiotic was significantly more likely to have NI (adjusted OR=1.13). Conclusion: Our study provided information to the prevention strategies of nosocomial infections and improvement of health care service.We described the nosocomial infection rate, infection density and device-related infection rate, seasonal distribution, the type of infection and the pathogens identified to reveal the profile of nosocomial infection of NICU in Guangzhou, China.Andwe identified the association between intrinsic factors of infants and health care procedures with NI. Multicenter prospective study can be conducted in the future to investigate the specific risk factors on different birth weight or gestational age in China. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

The psychometric properties of this Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU) were assessed, before using the scale to describe stress experienced by parents in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The extent to which parental stress from the parent-infant relationship in the unit was linked to parenting they received as a child, and adjustment to their couple relationship, was also examined. The sample consisted of 182 mothers and 183 fathers, who were in a cohabitating relationship, of infants from the NICU at Christchurch Women's Hospital. The self-report questionnaires included the PSS:NICU, Parental Bonding Instrument, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and were administered to parents within 2-3 weeks of their infant's birth. This study extends the finding of satisfactory psychometric properties of the PSS:NICU (Franck, Cox, Allen & Winter, 2005; Miles, Funk & Carlson, 1993; Reid & Bramwell, 2003) to this New Zealand sample. Mothers experienced significantly higher stress from the unit compared to fathers (p < .01). A previous finding, for mothers, of the parent-infant relationship being the most stressful aspect of the unit (Franck et al., 2005; Reid & Bramwell, 2003; Shields-Poe & Pinelli, 1997) extends to the New Zealand sample. The most stressful aspect of the unit for fathers was sights and sounds. Lack of evidence was found for associations between parental stress from the parent-infant relationship in the unit and parenting received as a child, or adjustment to their couple relationship. A weak but significant negative correlation was, however, found between stress from the mother-infant relationship and maternal care received in childhood. It is unnecessary to provide all parents with intervention further to what is already being practiced in the unit, as overall low levels of stress were reported. Some parents, however, did find the unit more stressful, and they may benefit from increased intervention.

The psychometric properties of this Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU) were assessed, before using the scale to describe stress experienced by parents in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The extent to which parental stress from the parent-infant relationship in the unit was linked to parenting they received as a child, and adjustment to their couple relationship, was also examined. The sample consisted of 182 mothers and 183 fathers, who were in a cohabitating relationship, of infants from the NICU at Christchurch Women's Hospital. The self-report questionnaires included the PSS:NICU, Parental Bonding Instrument, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and were administered to parents within 2-3 weeks of their infant's birth. This study extends the finding of satisfactory psychometric properties of the PSS:NICU (Franck, Cox, Allen & Winter, 2005; Miles, Funk & Carlson, 1993; Reid & Bramwell, 2003) to this New Zealand sample. Mothers experienced significantly higher stress from the unit compared to fathers (p < .01). A previous finding, for mothers, of the parent-infant relationship being the most stressful aspect of the unit (Franck et al., 2005; Reid & Bramwell, 2003; Shields-Poe & Pinelli, 1997) extends to the New Zealand sample. The most stressful aspect of the unit for fathers was sights and sounds. Lack of evidence was found for associations between parental stress from the parent-infant relationship in the unit and parenting received as a child, or adjustment to their couple relationship. A weak but significant negative correlation was, however, found between stress from the mother-infant relationship and maternal care received in childhood. It is unnecessary to provide all parents with intervention further to what is already being practiced in the unit, as overall low levels of stress were reported. Some parents, however, did find the unit more stressful, and they may benefit from increased intervention.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2009. / Typescript (photocopy). "6 July 2009." Includes bibliographical references (p. [205]-224). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Rhode Island, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-165).

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1993. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-91).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1976.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1976.

The research objective was: to determine (a) the extent of the present involvement of neonatal intensive care nurses in technology assessment, (b) their perceptions of the technologies with which they worked, and (c) their perceptions of requirements for improvements in the technology assessment process. Nurses and senior staff (nursing s.u perv.i sors, NICU consultants and training officers) ln the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of five hospitals in London were included in the study sample. They completed questions regarding new medical technologies in general and NICU technologies in particular. Nurses and senior does not prepare Further, in some training regarding staff believed that nurses' training them adequately for new technologies. instances, nurses had not received a new technology prior to using it. Neither nurses nor senior staff were fully aware of formal processes for technology assessment in their hospitals, but did identify informal processes. While a small minority of the nurses had been directly involved in decisions regarding the new technologies, more than half had made recommendations. The nurses considered their level of involvement unsatisfactory, and believed (as did the senior staff) that their hospital could improve its procedures for purchasing, introducing and using new technologies. Most of the nurses who were planning to remain in neonatal intensive care were dissatisfied with their involvement and with their hospital's methods for adopting new technologies. One-third of the nurses and most of the senior staff identified examples of nurses' having contributed to the development and adaptation of new equipment and procedures, either formally or informally. The impacts considered most significant by nurse participants were: job stress, increased ethical, legal or social concerns, and decreased reliance on clinical judgment or skills of nurses.