title: Supporting of the Fathers to Visit Their Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Decreases Their Stress Level: A Pretest-Posttest Quasi-Experimental Study.
abstract: It is known that fathers whose infants are hospitalized in NICUs (Neonatal Intensive Care Units) are severely stressed. This study was conducted for the purpose of determining the effect of supporting and visiting infants in NICUs on stress levels of Turkish fathers. This was a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study. The population of the study consisted of 47 fathers who had their infants receiving treatment in NICU at a state hospital in the eastern Turkey and agreed to participate in the study. The data were collected by using "Father-Infant Introductory Information Form" and "Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, PSS:NICU". When comparing the PSS:NICU total mean scores of the fathers before and after interventions; it was determined that their mean scores were higher before visits compared to those obtained after interventions and the difference between them was significant at advanced level. It was found that the fathers visiting and supporting their infants in NICUs had the decreased stress levels. It is a useful nursing intervention to support fathers to visit their babies in NICUs and establish environments where they could spend time with their babies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kafkas University, Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Funda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kardaş Özdemir
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Giresun University, 28340, Piraziz-Giresun, Turkey. dilekkucuk@atauni.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Küçük Alemdar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014421:Turkey; D014789:Visitors to Patients; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Father; NICU; Stress; Supporting; Visit