1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«In 2016 the NICU [Neonatal Intensive Care Unit] of a tertiary care hospital moved from an OW [open ward] in an old wing of the hospital to a newly constructed pod/SFR [single-family rooms] unit in a newly constructed critical care wing. [Thus, this article] investigate the well-being and presence of mothers in a unit design not typically studied.» (p. 3)

Questions/Hypothèses :
The authors «hypothesized that mothers in the pod/SFR unit would have lower NICU- stress compared to mothers whose newborn was cared for in the former OW. Also, [they] expected that pod/SFR mothers would report fewer symptoms of depression, greater family-centered care, perceive greater support from nurses, and fewer sleep disturbances compared to a cohort of mothers whose infants were cared for in the OW. Lastly, [they] proposed that their breastfeeding self-efficacy and readiness for discharge would be greater than OW mothers.» (p. 3)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
L’échantillon est composé de 150 femmes recrutées auprès de l’unité des soins intensifs néonatals d’un établissement hospitalier de Montréal. Certaines d’entre elles (n = 70) sont dans la salle ouverte de l’unité, et les autres (n = 80) dans des chambrettes unifamiliales.

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«The current study is an important contribution to the evidence on NICU design as we assessed a design not often studied that combines pods and SFRs, with the 6-bed pods used for critical care and SFRs for step-down care. Mothers were less stressed in the pod-SFR unit compared to the OW, and their level of NICU-stress was similar to reports of mothers in an SFR unit. NICUs that include these two types of rooms used in this way may be optimal in some respects for parents. Early in the newborns’ hospitalization in a pod, mothers may feel supported and secure in the presence of nursing staff; while in a SFR for step-down care they may have the privacy needed at that time to consolidate their caregiving abilities in an environment approximating home prior to discharge.» (p. 8)