1. Touch Experiences of Preterm Infants During Essential Nursing Care.
- Author
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Dion Nist, Marliese, Harrison, Tondi M., and Pickler, Rita H.
- Subjects
TOUCH -- Psychological aspects ,OCCUPATIONAL roles ,STATISTICS ,KRUSKAL-Wallis Test ,NEONATAL intensive care ,PREMATURE infants ,INTENSIVE care nursing ,SCIENTIFIC observation ,CROSS-sectional method ,RESEARCH methodology ,NEONATAL intensive care units ,MANN Whitney U Test ,MEDICAL protocols ,PSYCHOSOCIAL factors ,PEDIATRIC nursing ,NURSES ,RESEARCH funding ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,POSTNATAL care ,DATA analysis ,DATA analysis software - Abstract
Purpose: To characterize and quantify touch experienced by preterm infants in the NICU during essential nursing care, identify instances of skin-to-skin touch between infants and caregivers, and identify clinical/demographic variables associated with touch experiences. Design: Cross-sectional study. Sample: Preterm infants (N = 20) born 27–32 weeks post-menstrual age. Main Outcome Variable: Categories of touch during observations. Results: Touch experienced by infants during day and night shifts was primarily direct touch that was further categorized as general handling. During day shifts, 30 percent of direct touch was provided for comfort, but only 9.7 percent of touch was provided exclusively for comfort (i.e., without more intrusive touch). During night shifts, 10.6 percent of direct touch was provided for comfort, and 3 percent was categorized as exclusive comforting touch. Caregivers wore gloves for >89 percent of infant touch. Only the level of respiratory support was associated with touch categories during both shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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