Emotional Work of Neonatal Nurses in a Single-Family Room NICU

Abstract

Objective: To describe the emotional work of neonatal nurses in a single-family room NICU.

Design: Qualitative interpretive description.

Setting: A single-family room NICU in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

Participants: Fifteen nurses who worked in the single-family room NICU.

Methods: Data were collected from 110 hours of direct observation and 11 interviews over a 6-month period. We focused on emotional demands using triangulation between interviews and observations to identify themes. Conceptualization of emotional work informed interpretation.

Results: Four themes emerged: Parents Living on the Unit, Isolation of Infants in Rooms, Nurses' Ability to Form Bonds and Establish Trust With Parents, and Sheltering Nurses and Parents From Stressful Events on the Unit. Parents living on the unit and the isolation of infants in private rooms increased the emotional work of nurses. Forming trust and bonds with parents and sheltering parents and themselves from stressful events on the unit decreased nurses' emotional work.

Conclusion: Care should be taken in NICU design because unit layout can affect the emotional work of nurses. Understanding how neonatal nursing practice is affected by unit layout can help nurses and those who design NICUs to create and promote optimal practice environments.

Keywords: NICU; emotional work; neonatal; nurse; private rooms; single-family room.