Experience of neonatal intensive care unit nurses in providing developmentally-supportive care: A qualitative study

Many challenges have been noted in the implementation of developmentally-supportive care principles in neonatal intensive care units, despite evidence that adhering to such care principles achieves positive results for the neonate. The aim of this study was to explore and describe compliance in adhering to developmentally-supportive care principles implemented in one neonatal intensive care unit in South Africa. An exploratory design was used in this qualitative study with purposive sampling to select eligible neonatal intensive care registered nurses (n = 14) as participants. Participants all worked in a 10 bed neonatal intensive care unit at a large tertiary care public hospital. Six audio-recorded interviews were conducted, with recordings subsequently transcribed and analyzed. Three main themes were identified: value of developmentally-supportive care, nature of developmentally-supportive care, and barriers to developmentally-supportive care. One of the main themes had subthemes, which substantiated the findings, and included parent involvement, nurse engagement, and holistic care. Study outcomes offer insight into the development or revision of policies and practices, which are crucial when implementing developmentally-supportive care, particularly in resource-poor settings where challenges are magnified.