title: Palliative care in neonatal intensive care, effects on parent stress and satisfaction: a feasibility study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Approximately 1 in 10 infants require neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization, which causes parental stress. Palliative care (PC) provides an opportunity to alleviate suffering and stress.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examines the effects of PC on NICU parent stress and satisfaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort design compares stress and satisfaction among families receiving or not receiving PC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in stress scores were found (P = .27-1.00). Palliative care parents (100%) were more likely to report being "extremely satisfied" with care than usual-care parents (50%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports the feasibility of evaluating NICU PC services. Infants referred for PC typically have higher morbidity/mortality; therefore, higher parental stress scores may be expected. Stress levels were similar in both cohorts, thus PC did not increase stress and may decrease PC parent stress.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Miller Children's and Women's Hospital Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, USA apetteys@memorialcare.org.
authors.forename: Annie R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Petteys
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Joy R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Goebel
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Palliative Care Program, Miller Children's and Women's Hospital Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Joetta D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Savitri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh-Carlson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: infant; neonatal intensive care unit; palliative care; parent; premature; satisfaction; stress